Gone With The Ravens
by Animeimaginationgrl
Summary: AU: Stevie Rae's just a small town girl with not a whole lot of excitement. When outlaws come into the small town of Boulder and kidnap her; that is merely just the beginning of her newfound adventure. Finished!
1. The Small Town of Boulder

Alrighty then. Well for starters, the reason I'm writing this story is that I fail to see an actual AU story with this couple so I decided that (in the same way I actually started the Rephiam/Stevie Rae fics) I shall start the AU fics for them as well (it's only appropriate).

Second of all… DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HOUSE OF NIGHT, ONLY THE OCS!

Thirdly the setting is western America, pre-Civil War and it really only has like five characters from the book series and the others are OCs (there's just so many danged characters in the book and hell if I'm going to use them all!) and also this is a Dallas-bashing story so if you like him (which I can't believe you do if you do) then best turn around and leave (jk, I love all my readers, even flamers).

Summary: Stevie Rae's just a small town girl with not a whole lot of excitement. When outlaws come into the small town of Boulder and kidnap her; that is merely just the beginning of her newfound adventure. Rated T.

P.S. Rephiam might be OOC in this so just live with me. I'm going to try to get as close to it as possible but in this type of story it's going to be a bit difficult.

Key: "Talking" _"Emphasis" thoughts _setting change/_POV change (and if i don't state it, just take it as no POV)  


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The sun beat down on the town of Boulder. Smack in the middle between a desert on one side and plains on the other, the town is the gateway towards each side wither you're coming or going. It's really a small town, one town hall, a saloon, only one inn, a few stores (just for the necessities), one bank, one small jail and very few homes. The biggest thing in town is actually the Ole Horse Paradise farm where the owner and his missus breed, raise and sell horses off to whoever comes around wanting a horse. The population of the town is an ear splitting 128. Can't believe it huh? Reason is to be blamed on outlaws and Indians, both causing a major dent in the industry of Boulder. The town is run by Mayor Jimmy Johnson and he has been mayor for close to a decade. His wife was killed in barn fire and his daughter Stevie Rae Johnson in the only family he's really got left. And 'cause of that he does all in his power to give his daughter the greatest life ever, even if that means depriving her of fun while in an already drop dead boring town.

Morning/_Stevie Rae_

I woke up this morning and went out to the near empty barn in the back of the house. I went in and went immediately towards my daddy's horse Savannah. A beautiful while appaloosa with dark brown eyes, black tail and white mane, some black spots on her hind quarters and back legs and a mask looking spot on her face. She neighed softly as I approached her. She's always been such a good horse. She places her head over the stall door and I stroke her mane and the sides of her face. I want a horse but my daddy says it's un-ladylike for me to get a horse. I scoff silently. "It's not un-ladylike of me to have a horse, don't ya agree with me Savannah?" The horse neighs and nods its head in response. I laugh softly as I continue stroking the appaloosa.

My dad came in then and he took one look at me and shook his head. "Stevie Rae, why are you still in your nightgown?" I was going to reply but he cut me off. "Go back inside the house and get dressed. And remember formally since I'll be calling you into the office today and I don't need no daughter of mine looking improper." He was already ready to go to the town hall. Already wearing his black fancy vest and pants with a white dress shirt and tie and his black shiny shoes that are polished most every day. He's pretty lean too. Not too fat, not too skinny so he doesn't look like one of them stereotypical mayors of small towns, they being all fat and stuff.

"Yes father." I silently say as I leave Savannah and marched back to my room. I reached my room on the second floor and I close the door. I don't really have a lot of fancy clothing, I see no need if it's just goin' to get all dirty out here in Boulder. There's a whole lot of dirt comin' in from the desert on the west side of town and if it's not dirt it's loose long grass or other earthly things from the other. I sigh and open my closet. Deciding that I want to try and look dapper without all of the primp and gold, I picked out my light pink, a little bit passed knee length, skirt, my long sleeved tan and white accent shirt, my brown vest and matching hat with my favorite pair of red and gold thread boots. I also got my underpants and a pink ribbon so I can tie it around the hat to add more pink in my outfit. Once I was fully dressed I looked in the full length mirror and smiled at myself. Afterwards I went downstairs and eat breakfast, waiting for the moment when I have to go to town to see my father.

Hours passed and I started my way down the dirt path that leads into town. It took a while to actually get into the town outskirts but once I reached it is just a short walk to the town hall where I would be meeting my father. I saw Savannah tied up to the post and drinking water and right next to her was Beau, a black and white mustang stallion with both his mane and tail being black and white as well. I rolled my eyes upon seeing Beau, if he's here then so is Dallas. Dallas is one of the most handsome boys in town. Just a year older (I'm 16) and very gentlemanlike. He always has his hair slicked back and he's always wearin' formal clothing, sort of exactly what by dad wears but without the tie and instead of black, shiny loafers he wears boots, the color depending on his clothes. I go into the hall and I'm greeted by my daddy's employees. I nod and give curt waves as I pass by. I enter my father's office after a knock and a short "come in" from my father. "Stevie Rae." He calls as he stands, walks over and gives me a short hug. That's when I noticed Dallas sittin' in a chair. He too stands and gives me a sweet smile. I see he's wearing his grey outfit today; white shirt, grey vest and pants, not hat and black boots.

I smile back and turn my attention to my father. Under my breath I ask my father, "What is he doing here father?"

Whispering back my father replies, "To take you on a parent approved outing in town."

I suppress a groan and smile back at Dallas. It's not that I really dislike Dallas, the boy's completely nice and very pretty, but I would rather actually choose to go on an outing with him and not be forced to go whenever my father says so. Dallas walks up, takes my hand and kisses the back of it. "Good afternoon Miss Johnson." He gave me a quick wink before releasing my hand.

"Good afternoon." I shortly answer.

"Alright well you two go on ahead." My father says as he returns to his desk. "I've got plenty of work to keep me occupied." He gave a short laugh and a grin towards me and Dallas. "Just make sure she doesn't get into trouble Dallas."

"Won't be a problem Mr. Johnson sir." Dallas promised.

"Right then. Go on you two. Go off." My father gave me another smile before Dallas offered his arm and I linked my arm in his and we walked off.

Dallas took me to the salon in town. We walked through the two doors, our arms still linked. He pointed to a table and the owner, Mr. Williams, a fat, short, kind man, nodded and said that someone will be right with us. Dallas pulled out my chair and I sat down, he immediately pushed my chair in and made his way to the other side of the small round table and sat down. A waitress came shortly after we had started a conversation about what we wanted to order. Dallas told her we needed a few more moments when we had already decided what we wanted. "But Dallas…" I was starting before he raised a hand.

"Now Stevie Rae, I got something important I want to say first." My heart started pounding in my head. I was wondering why my father was smiling so much back at the hall and now I feel as if I know why. "Now I know we've only been with each other for well under a year but I feel as if I can't stand being apart from you for so long." My heart now roared in my chest cavity. _Am I ready? Am I really ready to get married if that's what Dallas is talkin' about? _I tried to breath but I found it difficult to. His hand started to reach into his back pocket while his other hand reached for mine. "Stevie Rae, I was wonderin' if maybe you'd—"

A horse ran into the saloon and an outlaw rode atop of it. "Right now! Everyone get down and don't try anythin' stupid!" The gruff outlaw yelled as he shot two warning shots into the ceiling. Dallas jumped out of his seat and pulled me down onto the ground.

"God damn it." He cursed as he stayed low on the ground. Two more outlaws came in and started going around looking for things to rob while the one on the horse kept lookout. The horse snorted and stomped onto the wooden floors of the saloon. I heard screams from outside and I just knew that a band of outlaws were pillaging the whole town. I started to worry. Was my father safe? Did they kill them? Suddenly I heard Dallas yell followed by someone yanking me up onto my feet. "Let her go!" Dallas yelled as he was held back by the two other outlaws.

"No I don't think I will." The outlaw who was on the horse said. "This little darlin's goin' to be our free and safe ticket out of here. He jumped back onto his horse and pulled me up with him. I struggled of course but then I felt the mouth of a gun get pushed deep into my back. "Now little darlin', don't make this more difficult than its goin' to have to be." He shot me a wicked smile and I worried for my life. "C'mon boys! Let's ride!" He turned the horse and I saw out of the corner of my eye that Dallas got hit hard in the face by one of the outlaws and fell onto the floor. The followed the horse outlaw out to their own horses where the rest of (what I counted to be) four other outlaws on their horses. "Let's go!" They ran out quickly ran out towards the east. We passed by the jail which was burning down to the ground. _Oh god. _I thought as I was being kidnapped. The outlaws took me far from Boulder and when we were a good enough distance away the one who took me whispered in my ear, "When we stop to camp, you my darlin', can be our entertainment for the night." _Oh god. Please. Not rape. _I started to struggle again forgetting about the gun that was still pressed to my back. The gun rose up to my head and I stopped immediately. "Now remember what I said darlin', don't make this—"He stopped when he yelled out in pain. I twisted my head and saw an arrow in his side. He dropped the gun and loosened his grip on me. I was then able to slip out of his arms and fall on the hard ground. The others turned to get me but then eight horses and their riders came and stopped them. The two groups fought and distracted by the entertainment (call me crazy) I stayed on the ground watching the fight. Within moments four outlaws ran off while the other three were dead (I couldn't tell which three or which four had died/escaped respectfully).

The eight cumulated and I soon heard a voice. "That was not the right band."

"We just have to keep looking."

"What about the girl?"

"I will go see."

One of them came riding over and the horse blocked the sun which made their features almost unnoticeable. I tried to see better and when I took a closer look I recognized the horse that belongs to a certain group of people. I almost didn't believe it. It's hard to come across one of them. What really confirmed it was when a black bird flew down and landed on the rider's shoulder. "You're… You're a-a—"

A hand reached down to me and I moved back. "Do you want some help getting up?" I looked at the hand for a few moments before I gingerly placed my hand in his and he pulled me up. That was when I saw the features of all three of them. The horse was pure black, not one speck of white on it. Its eyes shone red in the light, the legs are strong and wide with feathering on the bottom and the hair was suburb, wavy and a deep shade of black. The raven was also pure black with red eyes and again not one speck of white on him. Then came the rider. He wore no shirt which showed his well muscled chest and broad shoulders, his long, thick, black hair is braided with bird feathers entwined in it and his face is well chiseled and just perfect.

After the initial shock of running into one of him and the beauty of him and his animals I finally found my voice to confirm aloud who just rescued me. "You're a Black Raven."

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Oh. Cliffy. Love it. Lol. So what do you think? Should I continue? Yes, no, maybe so? Please review, flamers allowed.

P.S. If you're wondering, the black horse I described in the end is a Friesian (my fav breed of horse). I tell you this now because I'm not going to state it in the story and I just know I'm gonna get a question like "What's that breed of horse?" or somewhere along the lines.


	2. Some Anger Sparks

Note: The words and sayings said in this story do not reflect the opinions of the author/writer (me).

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_Stevie Rae_

"Hm." The Black Raven softly grunted as he turned his horse to look at the other Black Ravens that were coming to him.

"Chief, what is the matter?" One of them asked as they all stopped behind him. I could feel some of their eyes on me while the others stared intently of, what I believe, is their leader.

"She seems to know who we are." He answered.

Another different Black Raven pulled up beside the leader and looked down at me. "She is very pretty there brother. Shall we take her?" I tense knowing what he meant. The Black Ravens are infamous for causing mischief and raping women, the only Indian tribe out there that does such a thing. I know I should run, but I knew if I did I would be easily caught.

"No Amaro." The leader replied, his voice lined with the slightest bit of anger. "We will not follow my father." Amaro scoffed and turned his horse around. He turned his attention back to me. "Where do you live?" I moved back in shock. Where I live? For what reason?

"Rephiam," a Black Raven from the back called, "what are you planning?"

_Rephiam… That's his name. _I silently mused in my head. That name sounds awfully familiar.

"We are taking her back home." He said with certainty. His hand reached down again. Not quite buying into this I glare at his hand.

Another Black Raven pulled up on Rephiam's left side. "Well would ya look at that?" His voice sounded very western and that threw me off. I thought all Black Ravens were Indians. I looked closer at his face, he is Indian. I got totally confused. "Looks like the girl don't trust us. What a shame. We should just leave her out here."

"Come on Reid." A horse neighed as he came into view, the rider looking straight at the western Indian (still very strange to me). "Do not be so cruel. She was kidnapped obviously. I say we take her home."

"And risk being shot at?" Amaro argued as he returned his horse back around. "Yeah, I would rather just leave her here and save us the trouble Hotah."

"She is our responsibility." Said the Indian who asked Rephiam before what he was planning. "We saved her it shall be our responsibility to return her to safety."

Amaro groaned. "You two are seriously too kind. We are Black Ravens, not the weak others who die by the hands of white men."

"So what if my brother Hothlepoya and I are kind?" Hotah asked, his voice filled with self defense, "At least we have a heart."

"Why you—"

"Enough." Rephiam intervened. "We are taking her home." That was when I realized that he hadn't taken his hand away." He looked to me and nodded once. "There is no need to fear. Where do you live?"

I looked back at the others behind him and then back at his hand. What the heck? If somethin' bad happens it happens. "I live in Boulder." I place my hand gingerly in his and suddenly I'm pulled up. With a squeak I get placed on the back of the horse behind Rephiam. The horse complained about the extra weight with a groan.

The Indian named Hotah pulled his horse close to Rephiam's. "Now, now, Shadow. It will only be for a little while." The horse whinnied softly in reply.

Rephiam nodded his thanks and turned the horse around. "Let us go." The birds flew off their owners' shoulders and he clicked his tongue and the horse broke into a run and the others followed without another command from him (and I guessed the ravens follow from the air). I wasn't really holding on so I almost fell. I wrapped my arms around his waist. He didn't even look back when I did that. I sort of blanked out while I rode an actual Black Raven horse. It's not like a typical horse. The gait is more collected, the head is pulled close to its body and the stride was longer, more like a deer than a horse. After I got over the initial shock of riding this horse I looked more closely at the others. The one named Amaro looked just a tad bit younger than the Rephiam. The faces looked alike but the difference was that while Rephiam's hair was braided, his was tied in a ponytail. He wore no shirt like his brother so I could see his muscles were more distinguished than his brother's. Behind him was the one called Hotah, he had his hair braided too, he wore a shirt though and he had a feather in his hair too. Behind him was (what I guess to be his brother), what was his name? Hoth-Hothlo-pia, whatever his name was, was wearing the exact same thing as his brother right down to the hair length (I guess that maybe they're twins). I looked on the other side now. The one farther in front was the western Indian person, Reid. His hair was short and he wore a cowboy hat (the only one that wore a hat at all) and he had a cowboy jacket, no shirt, brown pants just like the others but with boots. I mentally laughed, not your regular ol' Indian now is he? He also had a rifle strapped behind him on the saddle (once again, the only one with a saddle and let me just say, bareback riding is so uncomfortable, especially in a skirt). The one behind him, I don't think his name was mentioned, he looked more like a traditional Indian, with the tribal shirt and pants and moccasins and the beads and his hair was put into two braids. There was also a bad over his shoulder too. I looked at the back of Rephiam and then I notice something I didn't notice before. A huge mark covering his whole back in the form of wings. They were on there as if they were open. I marveled at it for a bit before looking back at the others, there were some who also had the same marks, mostly on their arms, others were unseen. _I guess they all have the same markings somewhere on their body. _ I look back to his back and for the rest of the ride I studied the wings.

Boulder/_No POV_

Jimmy Johnson supervised the fire operation at the jail. Until the fire is completely put out there was no way to tell if either of the two sheriffs survived the fire caused by the outlaws. Meanwhile the bank counted the money that was left in the bank to see in total how much was robbed. Other volunteers went around looking for anyone who might be hurt or in need of help. Dallas received a big bump to the head and was not all right on his feet. Jimmy looked around and in the distance, off on the west, dust and dirt was being kicked off. Jimmy turned his attention fully onto the commotion when then he saw them. The Black Ravens riding in. _Oh great. Just what we need. A bunch of savages. _He thought violently as he quickly called out a warning. Men ran off to grab their guns while the women and children started to seek out shelter. The fire forgotten it burned mightily behind the growing group of men with guns and rifles. The black horses pulled up and Jimmy saw her, his daughter, behind a Black Raven. "Stevie Rae Johnson!"

She snapped back into reality. "Father!" Rephiam half turned to help her down before Jimmy yelled out.

"Don't touch my daughter you savage!" He took a rifle from a man standing close to him and cocked the gun. Rephiam looked up, a dangerous, humorous, glint in his eyes. His arms and hands stayed at his side as Stevie Rae awkwardly got off the horse. She landed on her feet with a thud and ran beside her father. "What do you want ya animal?"

Amaro pushed his horse in front of Rephiam and glared down at Jimmy. "Do not start white man. We just safely delivered your daughter to you so back off."

"Delivered her? You talk about her like she's an object!"

Amaro reached into his pants pocket for his knife but Rephiam pushed his horse away with his and looked towards the mayor. "I would be grateful if I were you. We could have done bad things to your daughter instead of bring her home. We could also plummet your town deeper in chaos if we wanted to. Thankfully for you we are just passing through." His horse snorted in Jimmy's face and that pushed the mayor off the edge.

"I'm going to kill that devil horse!" He pointed the gun to the horse. The horse neighed and reared. The other horses as well as their riders reacted as well.

"Father!" Stevie Rae pushed the gun down and the gun went off, the bullet hitting the ground hard. The horses trampled in place and did nervous circles. The ravens were starting to circle around above the Black Ravens. The men of the town started feeling nervous as the black birds circled and got lower, and lower, and lower. "Don't! They saved me from the outlaws the least you could do is let them pass!" She then moved in front of the gun and defensively in front of the Black Ravens. "Show them hospitality." She added silently.

"Hospitality! To those creatures?"

"Rephiam!" Amaro screamed. "Let me cut his throat out!"

"No Amaro!" "See what violence!" Both Rephiam and Jimmy shouted at the same time.

"I told you this was going to be bad Rephiam." Amaro stated.

Hotah nodded. "We should leave and quickly before the chance is lost."

"You're not getting out of my town alive!" Jimmy yelled his fist in the air.

"Father! Stop it!" His daughter shouted.

The quietest of the Black Ravens, Chogan, pulled his horse away and towards the east. "Rephiam let us leave. We brought her, now we should go."

Rephiam turned his horse and moved towards the east. "Alright Chogan. We are leaving." Jimmy raised the gun but Stevie Rae yanked it out of his hands and held onto the dangerous weapon. She glared at her father, hatred boiling up inside of her. Rephiam shot a single glance back at her, nodded once and then clicked his tongue. The horses rushed forward, Amaro held his horse back to glare at the town and its inhabitants. He then too clicked his tongue and followed the rest of the tribe.

"Good riddance." Jimmy turned towards his daughter and pulled the gun out from her. Without another word he turned, shoved the gun into the owner's hands and restarted the fire operation. Stevie Rae stomped her foot into the ground immaturely and went straight home, ashamed and angered by her father's actions.

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Name meanings:

Amaro: strong

Chogan: black bird

Hotah: gray

Hothlepoya: wild hunter

Reid: red

Note: In this story all the Black Ravens are related they all just have different mothers except for Rephiam and Amaro and the twins Hotah and Hothlepoya (from a different mother), just so you know.

Please review.


	3. Opinions Don't Matter

_Stevie Rae_

While I was walking home my best friend Zoey Redbird joined me. "Oh my goodness, Stevie Rae!"

"Zoey." I stopped for a while she ran up. She had her black hair down with a brown bow tied on the back of her hair. She wore her favorite white, tan and brown dress with the ruffles at the edges with the brown tied corset with the flowing skirt down to the floor. I saw glimpses of her brown little heeled shoes when she ran. Once she caught up I started walking again.

"Stevie Rae, was it true that you came riding in town on the back of a Black Raven horse? And behind a Black Raven himself!"

I rolled my eyes and suppressed a sigh. "It was no big deal Z. I was kidnapped by the outlaws, and they stopped them and he asked me to take me home." I shrugged to emphasize it.

She scoffed. "I would have been scared crapless. I would have—"

"Oh my gosh!" I stop suddenly. "Is Dallas ok?"

"Did you know just think of him?" Zoey gave me a puzzled look. "If I were you he would have been my first thought."

"Zoey, is he ok?"

"Yeah he's fine. Just a little woozy but he'll get over it." I sigh and continue walking. "So… What exactly after you got kidnapped Stevie Rae?"

I looked at her. She stared back at me with a caring and concerned look. I look around and sigh. "Look, it really wasn't no big deal. Like I said, got kidnapped, rescued, brought here."

"Did you get rescued on purpose?"

"No. They didn't even know I was there." I looked away, feelin' somehow sad by the fact.

Zoey skipped in front and starred at my face. "I know that look." She stopped and I had to stop too to prevent from runnin' into her. "Stevie Rae Johnson, you fell for one of them didn't you?" She gave me a mocking look.

"What?" I was utterly surprised. Me? And a Black Raven? As if. "No Zoey. Why would ya say that?"

She shrugged. "Alright. But I'm just saying I wouldn't blame you. I personally haven't seen an actual Black Raven, I wasn't in that part of the town when they came in, but by what some people descried, they are just gorgeous." She shot me a smile. "I bet they're even prettier up close huh?" She giggled impassively and I shook my head though I knew that she was right, about the gorgeous part not the fallin' part. We continued walking again and at the edge of the town we stopped to say our goodbyes. "So I guess your dad's going to chew you out when he gets home huh?"

"I don't see why he can't just appreciate them for bring me home _and_ saving me. I know he hates the Black Ravens but they could have done worse things to me if their leader Rephiam wasn't there."

"The leader? Rephiam?" She gave me a weird look. "No, Stevie Rae the leader and founder of the Black Ravens is Kalona. Rephiam is his first son."

"Really?" I look down at the dirt. _Something must have happened and Rephiam took over. _Then something his me. "Wait a moment. How do you know this?"

"Come on Stevie Rae." She smirked. "When you live out here, where those Ravens ride around, its best if you learned, and quick." I had to give it to her. She had a point. "Well, I better get going. Still got some town cleaning and fixing to do."

"See ya Z."

"Bye girl." She waved and walked off back in the direction we just came from. I turned and saw my house on the hill. I sighed and started going towards the house.

The Black Ravens/_No POV_

The horses drank from the water while their riders battled it out. "I told you it was a bad idea. We should have just listened to me!" Amaro yelled as he paced in front of Rephiam. Chogan raised a brow and put his flute to his lips and started playing. "Chogan! Do you have to do that now?" Chogan stopped but he didn't take the flute from his lips.

"You continue Chogan." Rephiam quietly said. He looked at his younger brother. "Amaro could use some music to calm him down." Amaro glared at him while Chogan continued. Rephiam then looked towards Hotah. "Hotah how is Dark Shadow?"

"Your horse is alright now chief." He patted the black horse's mighty neck. "Just got frightened by the gun shot. The others were just worried for him. They though he got shot, did not see the girl push the gun down."

Amaro scoffed. "That girl. We should have just taken her."

The others groaned except for Rephiam and Chogan who was busy with his music. "Just forget it Amaro. It is done." Hothlepoya stated as he went over and helped his brother wash down the horses and ravens.

"Yeah, and stop causin' all this trouble." Reid added while he shined his rifle. "You're giving me a headache."

"I will give you a headache white Indian." Amaro started his was towards Reid.

"Oh I would stop right there if I were you; I got a gun 'member?" Reid pointed the fully loaded barrel towards Amaro who stopped.

Rephiam shook his head and stood. "You are all acting like children."

"And what Rephiam?" Amaro challenged. "Do you see what your orders led to? If our father were here this would not happen."

"If you rather have father lead then leave the tribe and join him." Rephiam countered. Amaro stayed quiet and looked away. "That is what I thought." He looked on towards the rest of the tribe. "You all understand that what he did was wrong, and that he betrayed us." He looked back towards his brother. "Amaro, you do not want to go with him because you do not want to betray us. You will never do what he did, especially to Swift." A raven flew over and landed on Amaro's shoulder. He smiled at his raven and softly stroked the bird's chest. Rephiam turned his attention onto Hothlepoya and Hotah. "Once you are finished washing down the horses we move again." With that he sat back down and looked out towards the land before him.

Johnson House/_No POV_

Stevie Rae lay on her bed contemplating what had happened. She just couldn't come across the reason why her father was so cross. Sure the Black Ravens are infamous for the trouble they cause but if it had been her daughter that was kidnapped she would have just been glad that her daughter was brought safely home. Another thing she couldn't understand was the kindness emanating from the leader; he hardly acted like a Black Raven and was much different by the others, especially his brother Amaro. Stevie Rae heard the front door opened followed by the sound of it closing again then the sound of not one, but two pairs of boots crossing the floor towards the stairs. She sat up and looked at her closed bedroom door. The sound became louder and louder and she could only think about the outlaws coming in and whisking her away. Then a knock came from the door. "Stevie Rae." Her father's voice sounded. "Are you in there?"

Stevie Rae stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Where else could she have gone in the house? If Savannah was in her stable she would have gone there but she was with her father. "Yes." Without another word her father and Dallas walked into the bedroom. Her father sat on the edge of the bed while Dallas stood by the door looking around her room. Her room was plain and simple, white walls with white furniture, a full length mirror and a closet filled with her clothing and shoes. Another guy has never been in her room before besides her dad and that doesn't really count in her opinion. She tore her eyes from Dallas and looked at her father. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to tell you that you will always have someone else with you from now on and Dallas will be the one to accompany you."

"What?" She stood and looked at Dallas before looking back at her father. "Is this because of the Black Ravens?"

"It isn't just about the savages Stevie Rae." He stood, emphasizing what he's saying. "You were taken by outlaws as well and I can't afford that to happen again risk another encounter with them."

"But Dallas was there and he couldn't do crap to stop them!"

"Stevie Rae!" Both her father and Dallas yelled.

"I can assure you sir I did everything to stop the bandits from taking her." Dallas put in quickly as he took steps towards her father.

"Oh please." Stevie Rae said with disdain. "You pulled out your little gun and not once fired the thing. What were you afraid to stand up and fight?"

"Stevie Rae it's not—"

"Stop it you two!" Her father intervened. "Stevie Rae he'll be your escort and you will one day marry him no matter what."

"But father-!"

"That is final Stevie Rae. Do I make myself clear?" Stevie Rae looked down but she glared at her father through the hair that fell over her eyes. "Is that clear?"

"Yes father."

"Good. I'm going back to work. Dallas, you'll stay here and watch her." Her father turned and left. Silence spread throughout the household until the front door opened and closed signifying that Jimmy Johnson left the house.

"I can't believe you would say that in front of your father Stevie Rae." He quietly said to her.

"It was nothing against you Dallas." She replied as she sat back down on her bed. "I just don't want an escort. It's stupid."

"Are you saying that your safety doesn't matter?" Dallas sat down beside her and took one of her hands. He brought it up to his lips and placed a small kiss on the back of her hand. "'Cause it should matter. I don't want you to end up dead 'cause you don't care."

"Dallas—"

"Shh…" Dallas raised his other hand and brought it up to grasp her chin. He was leaning in when Stevie Rae pulled away.

"I-I can't right now. I have to go." She ran out of the room.

"Wait! Stevie Rae!" Dallas ran after her. He chased her down the stairs but by the time he reached the stairs she was out of the house and running towards the barn where she could hide. He ran out of the house and looked frantically around the yard. He went towards the barn and looked around poorly before going back out. Stevie Rae panted and swallowed while she sat in the hay loft of the barn. She couldn't kiss Dallas yet. Not with her thoughts on Rephiam.

* * *

Sorry it took a while. I went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving and I couldn't really type a lot (even though I had my grandparents laptop) because I was just so freaking busy. Anyways, review.


	4. In The Plains

_Stevie Rae_

I ended up staying the hayloft until night fell. I didn't really know why I stayed up there. Dallas was long gone, probably still looking for me and no doubt he told my father 'cause he still hasn't come at all. I suppose that they'll come to the house soon to see if all that searching was for not but something inside of me tells me that they'll keep on searching. I wonder why I think that. Within minutes it becomes clear. I've been unconsciously thinkin' about running away. I don't know the reason, and I don't know why I would want to leave. I have everything I could ask for here, a home, a family (despite the size), friends and a future husband (in a sick sense I'm engaged already to Dallas 'cause I can't marry anyone else). It suddenly then hits me (again). My life is being taken over, and I'm letting it happen. I stand up and my legs are numb from sittin' down for too long. _Why am I letting this happen? _I think to myself. How can I let other people rule my life? I climb down the hayloft and quickly cross the yard to the house. As I climbed the stairs my rational side kept on screamin' at me.

_So what if your life is being taken over? You have it made here sweetie. And where would you go? What would you bring? How long do you think you can survive out there? I'll tell you how long now, not long enough to grab the reigns of your life again. _

I ignored those thoughts. I had to do this. No matter if I could end up dying in the middle of the plains, I need to do this. I need to discover my life again and wherever it has gone. I pack up a change of clothes in a bag (including some pants I'm never allowed to wear but I do in secret) and a change of shoes. I look out the window lazily and see lights on the dark horizon. I panic. It's the search party. Coming to the house just as I said they were. I rush down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbing food at random. I grab a canteen from the drawer and fill it up. By the time I'm finished the lights are just outside the house. My breathing intensifies as I rush towards the back door. I open it quickly yet close it softly 'cause by then my father walked into the house and I didn't want him to hear. I then broke into a dead run. I don't have anywhere in particular to go to so I run in a straight line, dodging the random bushes and shrubs. I then dive behind a cactus when in the distance I hear my name being called out. It's light and soft, and barely unrecognizable but I hear that it's my name. I look back and see that no one had seen me run out. _They're just looking for me. _Guilt hits me like a train and I look back out towards where I'm running, being careful not to lay back and get pricked. With silent realization I see that I'm running in the same direction that the Black Ravens rode off in. I contemplate the possibility of runnin' into them again but I figure it's slim to none. With that I started running again and I never looked back again.

Black Ravens/_No POV_

Hotah pulled his horse next to Rephiam's and looked down the hill. "I do not see him there Chief."

"Neither do I." Rephiam admitted. "But maybe they will know where he is."

"I hope we do not do anything too rash." Chogan silently said.

"What does it matter?" Amaro said impatiently. "We need to find him and teach him not to turn his back on us."

Chogan sighed. "I understand that but sometimes I wonder if what we are doing is really necessary."

The Black Ravens looked at their leader, awaiting the next command. Rephiam stared down the hill, his horse swaying from boredom. Rephiam petted his horse's neck and his horse immediately stopped swaying. "Come on. Let us go see what information they can offer us." He kicked his horse forward into a gallop and the others followed closely behind.

Meanwhile below the small band of three outlaws planned out their next heist. "We can't just go barging into a big town; we need to hit small ones with not that much protection." The leader stated.

"If we keep on doin' small towns we'll gain a huge reputation and no big score." One of the outlaws complained. "I saw we go out on a limb and just charge the place."

"We'll be shot dead ya idiot." The other outlaw said. He looked out towards the hill and saw six, big, black figures move towards them. "What is that? Ya'll see that?"

The leader turned his horse around and saw the figures rushing towards them. "Holy mother of god! It's the Ravens!" The riders panicking the horses felt their panic and they too started to panic. The ravens flew down and distracted the three riders long enough for the Black Ravens to surround the three outlaws.

"Listen here fellas." Reid said clearly and he cocked his shotgun rifle. "We're lookin' for a bit of information 'bout and old acquaintance of ours and we're just wonderin' if you're gonna help us out."

The leader of the outlaws scoffed loudly. "You're all talk ya Raven. All talk and no fight." He reached for his hand gun when and arrow flew right into his arm. "Ah!" He screamed and he rolled of his horse clutching his arm.

"Wesley!" The other two outlaws yelled.

Hothlepoya reloaded another arrow into his bow and warned the other two outlaws. "Do not try anything else like your friend did here. Next shot is to the head." The horses groaned in the pressure of the air around them, ticking with every moment that ticked by.

"Now I'll ask ya again…" Reid drawled out as he pointed his gun towards the two. "Won't ya be so kind and help us?"

The two looked at each other before looking down at their injured leader who was trying to stand back up. One of them looked at Reid. "Yeah we'll help, just don't get trigger happy."

Reid scoffed and pulled his gun up, but only a little bit. Rephiam pulled his horse forward and took over from there. "We are looking an outlaw that goes by the name of Kain."

"Kain? You mean the guy with a horse like ya'll?"

Amaro glared at the outlaw. "No, the guy with a horse with wings, of course the guy with a horse like us."

"Woah, calm it down Raven." The outlaw raised his hands. "Last time I heard Kain was close to the town of North Platte 'bout 200 miles northeast of here."

"When was this?" Rephiam asked excitedly. 200 miles away. If this wasn't a long time ago, they could make the journey in close to a week and try to cut him off.

The outlaw shrugged. He looked towards his friend and asked him. "Well, let me see here." He rubbed his temple, causing his cowboy hat to get raised up. "It was, probably 'bout a month ago maybe? I don't know." Reid pointed the gun towards him a wiggled his trigger finger. "Alright hey! Calm down… All ya'll are crazy. It was a little over a month ago and no ones seen or heard of him in all this time. I'm guessin' after pulling off the last big heist he's in hidin' with his little gang, drinking, having a ball, and having sex with women."

Rephiam felt his anger surge. Why is it that the closer he gets to him the farther he ends up being? Not only that the outlaw's guess is probably the truth and that was pissing him off. "Thanks for the information. Black Ravens, we head towards North Platte." It was a good chance he was nowhere near that town by now but it's the only thing he's got for now. Rephiam pushed his horse forward and started towards the northeast. The others followed reluctantly, keeping an eye on the outlaws.

"Thanks again ya'll." Reid said as he rode by. He tipped his hat towards the three outlaws. "Been mighty fine talkin' to ya." They were almost out of range when the outlaws yelled at them.

"Just hold on a minute there Ravens! You can't just leave after injurin' our boss!"

"Yeah, we're gonna make ya'll pay."

Chogan sighed and shook his head. "Here comes the rash action."

Amaro rolled his eyes at the Indian. "Just do what you were born to do and just get it over with."

Rephiam stopped his horse. "Let us all just remember, they are the ones who had to push." Within a spilt moment gun shots and horse neighs sounded while arrows and bullets flew through the air.

Stevie Rae/_Stevie Rae_

"Gosh the sun's relentless…" I grumble to myself. I placed a hand over my eyes to block the blinding sunlight. Who would have thought that the sun could get hotter without shade and no drinking water (I ran out about an hour back) in the plains? Oh who am I kidding? I knew it would be like this. It's freaking hot! I silently wish I brought my fan, at least it could offer some breeze 'cause heck knows the wind doesn't want me to cool down. No wind at all can you believe it? I fan my hands towards my face. I'm so tired but out here out in the open I need to keep moving. I can't afford to rest for even a moment. I look over head to a bird, a black one. "Is that an eagle?" I ask but I realize that it's much smaller. A crow… No. More specifically a raven. It's a raven. Feeling a bit of hope I follow the bird hoping that it belongs to a Black Raven. It flies too quickly though and it soon disappears into the distance. Not giving up the slight glimmer of hope I continue into the direction the bird flew into. I slow down when I reach a hill. It wasn't a terribly huge hill but my energy was drained out of me before hand. Once I climbed over the hill a mix of happiness and a bit of fear converged inside of me. There they were with three corpses not far from them.

Down the hill/_No POV_

"Hold still Amaro." Chogan said against the back of his teeth while he edged the knife closer to Amaro's arm.

"Get that knife away from me Chogan."

"I have to get the bullet out. It was your fault for charging into the gun in the first place Amaro."

Hotah snorted. "I told you that one day your hot-headedness was going to get the better of you."

"Shut up Hotah. You did not say a thing."

"I thought it."

"Ahh!" Yelled Amaro followed by a string of Indian curses.

Chogan dug the knife deeper and popped the bullet out of Amaro's arm. It fell to the ground and Chogan picked it up and showed it to him. "Got it out."

"Yeah good, great, patch me up now." Chogan pulled the knife out slowly and grabbed the bandages that lay close to him.

Hothlepoya stretched. "That fight was actually very interesting."

"The fact that they put up a fight?" Amaro scoffed. "It shocked me." He sucked in breath as the bandage was wrapped tightly around his arm.

"I think the one who enjoyed it most was Reid." Hotah added with a smile on his face. "Reid got some new guns out of it."

"Oh yeah!" Reid yelled in agreement. "Now I don't have to ride around with just one piece of crap."

"Do not think badly of your old gun Reid." Hothlepoya said. "It is a powerful weapon nonetheless."

"You better believe it."

Rephiam petted his horse while his bird flew down on his shoulder. "Hello Mocker." With one finger he scratched the breast of his raven. It cawed a few times and flew off his shoulders again. He circled above him and his horse before flying towards the hill. Rephiam followed the bird with his eyes and saw someone on the hill, a girl. She disappeared behind the hill and his curiosity rose. He turned towards his horse. "We are going to investigate Shadow." The horse snorted once and Rephiam quickly got onto his horse's back. "Stay here. I will be back shortly." He kicked his horse and it cantered towards the hill.

"Where are you going Rephiam?" Amaro asked. "Hey! Where are you goi—Ahh!" He groaned and placed a hand over his mouth.

"Finished." Chogan added with a smile.

"Hm… Thanks." Amaro replied, hand still over his mouth.

Rephiam's horse climbed over the hill quickly and when he reached the top there was no one in sight. _Did I see an apparition? _He thought. He quickly threw that out of his head because his raven saw it, it couldn't be just in his head. He pushed his horse forward and it walked slowly. Rephiam then heard a twig snap and his horse automatically turned towards the sound. A boot quickly pulled in behind a boulder and Rephiam silently got off his horse and without making a sound walked over towards the stone. When he looked behind the rock he saw that the girl was the same one they rescued earlier that day. Rephiam refrained from rolling his eyes. "May I help you?"

His voice started her and she jumped and looked up at him. He crossed his arms over his bare chest and waited for her to answer. "Uh… I uh, just." She sighed. "Do you have any water I could have? I'm dyin' of thirst here."

Rephiam raised a brow and quietly pondered over wither or not he should help her, again. After a short moment he decided, what the heck? "Come. We have water with Reid." He turned towards his horse and heard her stand up. He silently yelled at himself. The others are not going to take this well.

* * *

Please review.


	5. Getting to Know Them

_No POV_

"Rephiam what is this?"

"Ya go and then wham! Ya come back with girl? Like what the hell?"

"She looks oddly familiar."

"Hothlepoya, she is the girl we risked our lives for."

"Ah. Thank you brother."

"Do not give her our water! Rephiam! Are you even listening to me? Rephiam!"

"Shut up Amaro."

"Can't ya see she's thirsty? Why do ya have to be such a cold heartless beast?"

"She is drinking our water!"

"Be kind and generous and you will receive it in time."

"Chogan, I have had just about enough of you."

While the bickering continued between his tribe Rephiam sighed and turned his attention onto the girl. "Ignore them and drink." _They are a just acting as usual. _He added in his head. While she drank, small, cautious sips, he retrieved the map of the mid-western United States and plotted their course towards North Platte as well as the nearest town.

"Rephiam!" His brother Amaro screamed in his ear.

Rephiam turned around and hit him hard causing Amaro to lose balance. "What?" He asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

Amaro rubbed the side of his face while he answered. "What are we going to do with the girl?"

"We are taking her with us—"

"Rephiam you can't be serious." Reid interrupted.

Hotah nodded. "I agree with Reid. It is dangerous for her to be out here alone but I have to admit that with us it is not that much better."

Rephiam felt his eyes close to a half closed, angered, position. "We are taking her with us _until_ we reach the nearest town of Raymer where we will drop her off there and she can find someone to take her home."

Stevie Rae pulled the canteen looking, deer hide or whatever hide covered thing from her lips. She's not going home. She can't go home too soon after leaving. And quite frankly, she really didn't want to go home.

"Raymer." Hothlepoya tapped his chin with a finger. "Why does that sound familiar?"

Reid chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You and you're short term memory Hoth boy, but I can't argue with ya, it too sounds familiar but I don't recall."

"You never recall anything Reid." Hotah joked as he hopped onto his horse.

"Where are you going Hotah?" Chogan asked.

"We better move and I will feel much better when she is out of our hair."

The rest of the tribe muttered their agreements before too climbing onto their horses. Rephiam turned towards Stevie Rae. "You done?"

She looked puzzled but then remembered the odd thing in her hand. "Oh. Yes. Thanks for the water." She handed him the, she's just gonna call it a canteen, over to him who in turn handed it back to Reid who put it in the saddlebag. Rephiam went straight towards his horse and he climbed on, his horse snorting slightly. He reached down and took her arm before pulling her up behind him, just like the first time. She was recollecting the moment when a loud sound came out of nowhere. "Ah!" She yelped. She then noticed a raven staring straight at her and cawing like crazy.

"He says that you have not thanked him for saving your life." The Indian in front of her said as the cawing continued. She could only stare at the angered bird. "Thank him. His name is Mocker."

Her eyes moved up to look at him, to see if he was being serious but he didn't turn his head. She looked at the others and they were staring at her, waiting. _Guess they're serious. _She thought before she looked at the now quiet and also waiting bird on Rephiam's shoulder. "Um… Thank you for saving me Mocker."

The raven tilted its head and cawed once before flapping off into the sky. She yelped again when he took off. "He said; 'you are welcome'."

"Uh-huh." She looked around again as his horse started walking forward. "Where are the other birds?" She heard herself ask.

This time Chogan answered as he pulled up alongside Rephiam. "They all flew away for a moment after our fight had ended. They will come back shortly."

"Do all of your animals have names?"

"Yes. My raven is name is Wild Song and my horse is Musa. Amaro is horse is called Sun Runner and his raven is Swift."

Reid pulled up on the opposite side with a big grin. "My raven's Hitora and my horse's Black Powder." His grin grew when he said his horse's name. "Hothlepoya's horse is Summer and his bird's name is Spring."

"While," a voice came from behind. She turned and saw that it was Hotah. "My horse is Raging River and my raven is Geyser. As for Rephiam, you have met Mocker and his beautiful horse is Shadow's Wing."

Stevie Rae looked at the horse. It defiantly is a beautiful horse. It has well defined muscles, a big horse in general, with healthy fur and hair. Of course the other horses were also well taken care of; Shadow's Wing did have that extra kick to him. Suddenly the horses broke into a gallop that almost threw Stevie Rae off. She held on tightly to Rephiam and after a while, she embarrassingly removed her arms from around his lower torso. The horses galloped on and it was an unusually quiet ride, the only sound being the hooves pounding into the ground. She looked to the ground and noticed huge shadows of birds coming down directly from above, making the horses seem like they have wings. She looked up and saw that the ravens were flying directly over their masters and the whole shape of it was a 'v' just like a typical flock of birds. _That must mean we're riding in a 'v' shape. _And sure enough they were with Shadow's Wing being front and center. She continued looking in wonder at the shadows. _The birds must be flying really high up for a huge shadow to come down. _The silence continued on for a short moment after that before Hotah yelled out. "Wild mustangs." He pointed off into the distance and there was a good size herd of mustangs. Hotah continued on, his voice sounding pleading. "We should ride into the herd. For fun."

Rephiam looked at back at him. "We do not have time for that Hotah."

"Come on Chief." Reid whined from the opposite side. "Don't be boring. Besides, the girl might want to ride with the mustangs."Rephiam looked around at all the pleading faces and sighed. Without another words he turned his horse towards the wild herd. "Yeah! Ye-haw!" The horses turned and followed the leaders and the ravens broke the formation and flew down beside the riders. At first Stevie Rae thought that the horses would attack, since their short temper, but they ran and the Black Ravens ran with them _in _the herd. The ravens crisscrossed in the horses as they ran while the Black Ravens horses followed the flow of the mustangs' pace and track. They were so closed to the many differently colored horses that Stevie Rae was able to reach out and stroke a wild mustang which in turn neighed in shock at the touch. She was slipping again into the beauty of the whole thing but then a yell from Rephiam knocked her out of it.

"Hotah, Reid, release those horses!" Stevie Rae looked back and saw rope around the necks of two wild mustangs.

"What?" Hotah sounded.

Reid on the other hand was whining. "C'mon Chief. You know I always wanted a mustang, a wild one not one of those broken ones."

"You already have better horses than the mustangs, release them." Rephiam argued. The two sighed in defeat and muttered something in Cherokee. They cut the rope near the knot and the ropes cascaded down towards the ground. Rephiam then turned out of the herd and started following the direction they were on before. It took a moment but the others soon followed and the ravens too went back in their original positions. Stevie Rae could only admire the precision and bond of the Black Ravens and their animals. She had dreamed of bonds like these and here it is before her and it looks more beautiful than it did in her dreams.

Boulder/_No POV_

Dallas sat on the front steps of the Johnson home, his head lying in his hands. He couldn't believe that she would run away. She wasn't the type of person to do that. He wondered if it was his fault she left. Was he being too forward? Did he scare her off? Nah. Not him. They're bond was too strong. It must have been something else. But he is worried. Worried for her and her father. Mr. Johnson is pacing inside the house now, his hair not slicked back but messy, he's not dressed as he usually is, ready for work. No. He was dressed to go looking for his only daughter, his only family. He went around to everyone in town, especially Stevie Rae's best friend Zoey. She said she didn't know she was planning to run away and Dallas believed her. Stevie Rae, despite how smart she is, isn't the one to plan about things. It's usually just prepare and go for her, or just go in some cases. This worried him even more. She's out there somewhere, probably lost and dying of thirst, hunger, unless she was already dead. Probably raped and killed or killed for any money or valuables on her.

The door behind him opened and Dallas turned around. Mr. Johnson stepped out of the house and the door closed behind him. "Dallas, where do you think she went?"

Dallas stood and faced the mayor. "I don't know sir."

Jimmy ran a hand through his messy, short hair and looked off into the distance. "I should send someone out to look for her."

"I'd volunteer."

"I know you would Dallas." He sighed.

"What's the problem sir?"

"I just have a feeling that if, when, we find her, I won't like it. Not one bit."

Black Ravens & Stevie Rae/_No POV_

They stopped at a river to rest up, mainly for the animals, but they sat at the banks of the river relaxing and taking in the still bright and warm sun, despite it being close to sundown. Stevie Rae has her back turned towards the others because they were taking a bath and hell if she was going to see that. She looked out and wondered about her father, Dallas, Zoey, and the rest of the town. She wondered on how they feel. _Probably abandoned, probably they feel betrayed. Like I'm the traitor for leaving. _Rephiam's voice pulled her out of thought. "It is fine to look now." She turned, trusting him, and saw that yep, it was safe to look. And what a sight it was. All of them wet and most of them shirtless standing next to their big horses, birds on their shoulders. They all looked very hot, or maybe it was the heat from the sun. After short seconds of thinking she decided she was crazy from the heat. "We are not far from Raymer. We should be there just before sundown." He got on his horse, his raven executing perfect balance as it stayed planted on his shoulder, and lead his horse to her. Once again he extended his hand out and she took it without a second thought. They were off without another word but it was just a walk as the horses walked through the river. Of course once they were all out they broke into a dead run and the 'v' formation formed again.

Just as Rephiam had said they did reach the outskirts just before sundown. Rephiam stopped his horse and the others lined up with him. Looking at the town before them. Hothlepoya grunted softly. "I am telling you, this looks familiar."

Amaro scoffed and clicked his tongue, causing his horse to move forward. "Let us just drop her there and be off." For like the first time ever the others followed his lead but was short lived when Rephiam started to lead again.

Hothlepoya looked around the really, _really_, familiar landscape. He pondered about it a bit more before it hit him. "I remember now. Raymer was the town where Takoda… died." They stopped and looked at a hanging gallery with the skeletal remains of one of their own with the remains of the horse on the ground and the bird remains nailed into the wood of the gallery. Above the gallery read the sign 'All Incoming Ravens—Beware!'

"Holy Spirit of Fire!"

Amaro yelled out. "Hothlepoya, why did you not remember this before?"

Hothlepoya couldn't answer for then out from the town came a horde of men on horses and they quickly surrounded the Black Ravens. The sheriff stopped before Rephiam and glared at him. "So, come back for seconds Ravens?" The sheriff cocked his gun.

"They've got a girl!" A man yelled.

"What's she doin'?"

"Girl! Get! Go!"

"Don't ya know you'll get raped?"

"Shut it!" The sheriff yelled. "Now you Ravens don't be thinking no ideas now. Just hand over the girl and turn yourselves in."

"Like the hell we won't!" Reid exclaimed. He pulled his horse beside Rephiam and glared at the sheriff. "You got mighty rich from Takoda's death, a Black Raven, dead. It made headlines, so now you're beggin' for more and I'm about to give it to ya!"

"Calm down Reid!" Chogan yelled suddenly from the back. He came up and pulled his horse by the reigns, taking him away from the sheriff.

"You were lucky he's here!" Reid yelled fire in his eyes.

Rephiam felt the tension rise and he got off his horse. He ignored the calls from the others to get back on his horse. "Look, we came here to drop her off. We are busy looking for someone and we did not want her caught up in it."

"Bull—"The sheriff started but Rephiam interrupted.

"It is the truth. But seeing how you killed one of our own a few years back and the hostility, we better move off to another town."

"Like hell you will!" Yelled a man. He pointed the gun towards him. Mocker flew down and knocked into the man's head causing him to fall off.

Hotah kicked in there. "Hey horses, yaw!"

The horses the white men were on neighed and reared and soon started to buck off their riders. "What in tarnation?" The sheriff yelled as he fell of his horse.

"We better get out of here." Chogan said as he continued holding back Reid. "He is about to go off in a moment."

Rephiam quickly got back on his horse, being careful not to kick the girl on the horse, and kicked Shadow. The horse neighed and ran off. The others followed, Chogan and Reid being last. Gunshots were being fired off and the horses ran quickly towards the sun. The raven cawed from above, their cries filled with terror and worry. Stevie Rae held on tightly to Rephiam. _This is downright scary! _She thought as the horses ran farther and farther away from danger. "Note to self: Raymer; do not go there." Hothlepoya muttered over and over and over to himself. They ran straight for almost an hour, taking refuge behind a randomly placed plateau.

"Should we go up?" Asked Chogan as the horses caught their breath at the base of the land formation.

"No. If we were followed we would be trapped up there." Rephiam got off his horse and immediately looked for shelter. To his luck there was a cave, just big enough for all of them though they would have to be arm to arm. _We will take turns on guard duty. _He looked towards the girl who slowly got off his horse. She stands awkwardly from sitting on a horse for a long time. _What to do with her? _He sighed and went back towards his tribe. "There is a cave…" There were sighs of happiness as well as murmurs. "…But she will take it."

"What?" The tribe said in unison. The girl looked at him. Her eyes reveling that she too is shocked.

"You heard me. She will take the cave while we sleep outside. We will also take turns on watch-out duty and not one of us is supposed to go anywhere near the inside of that cave." He ignored the looks from his men and started assigning jobs. "Amaro, take our weapons and see if they need anything done to them, just in case. Hotah cheek the animals, Hothlepoya hunt for food, Reid a fire would be useful and Chogan, help us calm down. I will take first watch." They all broke into their jobs, not one of them complaining anymore. Just the way Rephiam likes it. He kneeled and started to clean away the ground for a fire.

"Thank you." A feeble voice spoke out. Rephiam looked up at the girl. He only nodded before he went back to his job. She loomed over him twiddling with her fingers. "Stevie Rae."

He looked up again. "Excuse me?"

"My name is Stevie Rae."

"Hm." He grunted. He went back to his work. He heard her sigh before going into the cave. Once that happened Chogan cleared his throat. Rephiam looked up at him.

"Shall I begin?"

"Please."

Chogan nodded and placed a flute up to his lips. The next second the air was filled with a calming, Cherokee flute song, accompanied by the almost silent sounds of the crickets chirping and the soft sounds that came out from the animals. Within moments a fire grew and the crackling added onto the song. The food came quickly and as darkness blanketed over them the others fell to sleep while Rephiam stayed awake, only the sounds of nature left to calm his soul.


	6. Time For Running

Stevie Rae/_Stevie Rae_

I woke up with back pain from sleeping on rocks. I sat up using the cave wall for assistance. I sucked in air as I bent my back backwards. Once that was done a yawn escaped as I stretched my arms over my head. The cave wasn't tall so I easily touched the ceiling with my fingers. I sat there in silence for a moment, going over yesterday. I had run away and on sheer luck or damnation I ran into the Black Ravens again which once again saved me twice in the same day. Once again I couldn't think badly of the Ravens for all they have ever done to me was save me, now three times. Despite Amaro and his very unsocial personality, the others are very kind, social, and very close to each other. That was certain. I thought about the Indian that died in Raymer. He was a Black Raven but I wondered who he died. They are supposed to be strong, powerful beings with no signs of weaknesses. Could the Ravens really just be regular people with the born ability to be stronger than the rest of human kind? I began to believe that. The Ravens didn't act like the savages or the demons others call them. They seemed very human-like. Maybe when they were under their old leader - Kalona was it? – they were savages but under Rephiam it was like they are way different people. It accrued to me that if the worse of the worse of the Indian race wasn't actually all bad that the other tribes that white men have been relocating and treating horribly are actually the good guys and we're the bad guys. I nodded to myself. I never really liked the way they treated the Indians. They're people too despite their different race and color and culture. A shadow blocked off the minimal light that was shining in the cave. I looked up to see Chogan looking in. "Good. You are awake. We already have breakfast ready if you are feeling hungry." I couldn't find my words, still too tired, so I just nodded. He gave a short nod back before backing away from the cave. I was anticipating the breakfast. God knows what the Black Ravens eat for breakfast 'cause yesterday for dinner we had deer.

As it turns out breakfast was some stolen food from a town a few miles off. Reid had rode off early and took some bread from a bakery as well as some cheeses and some gallons of fresh water. "I thought Indians didn't eat white man food." I asked.

"Honey," Reid answered after he swallowed a bit of his bread and cheese, "we eat anything we find. We don't care as long as it's edible and doesn't have flies flyin' around it."

"Ew…" I really didn't want a descriptive scene like that so early in the morning.

"Rephiam," Amaro called out towards his brother, "now what?"

I guessed that the 'now what' was referring to me. I was right. "We will think of another plan. I was thinking that we should just take her back to her town and go before commotion starts again but I knew there would be retaliations." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "Since Raymer did not work out the way I had planned I am reluctant to go to another nearby town."

"Maybe we should give her a map, some food and water and let her find her own way." Hotah stated. I disagreed with that plan and shook my head though I know that no one was paying attention to me. All except Chogan.

"Do not worry. Chief will not just drop of a person. He has more morals than that."

Hothlepoya laid back, his hands behind his head. "Well, I think that we are stuck with her. We cannot do anything about her and we are too busy trying to find Kain. It seems to me that despite us not wanting to end up like this, we have no choice but to take her with us until we come back around her home."

Amaro groaned and shook his head. The others sighed in despair while Rephiam just closed his eyes, silently excepting the truth as I was. I suddenly felt bad. If I hadn't run away in the first place I wouldn't have found them and become such a burden. _And _I wouldn't have saddened my father as well as the rest of the town. I sighed too, but it was more in self defeat. Seems like nothing I do ever goes right, now does it? Then we ate in silence. No one moved except to move the food and liquid to our lips. I was used to the silence. Being an only child in an empty house while father was off working, I started remembering small games I used to play to pass the time when I was a child. I would pretend I was a wild mustang running free in the plains. Climbing hills (which I used the stairs), crossing rivers (continuously running back and forwards in the hallway) and jumping over canyons (jumping on the sofas). There was another game where I would sit cross-legged and I pretended to be in an Indian tribe when they have a huge fire and they're dancin' and singin' around the fire. Now if only little me only knew that one day she'd have to hang around actual Indians. Once we finished eating the horses were all prepped and the ravens took off into the skies, waiting for their masters to get ready to ride. I once again rode with Rephiam. It had seemed he took me as his responsibility. He was the one who saved me in the beginning, he should be the one to continue taking care of me, at least, that's what I thought he thought. We started off and I immediately found myself liking the fact that he had taken responsibility over me. I thought of Zoey's and my conversation before I left about the Black Ravens. Rephiam is certainty handsome and strong. That much is certain. And despite his rough reputation of being leader of the Ravens it's very clear he's different from the others and that he's much kinder, compassionate and he leads much differently than his father had before him. I don't know how long we were riding but when we stopped for rest and for more food (once again deer that Hothlepoya caught) the sun was high in the sky and it was hot. Really hot. They made another fire and once again they ate in silence. I was thinking about starting a conversation but when I tried thinking of a good topic I kept on pushing it away; wasn't really important for them most likely. Rephiam's voice started a topic then, one that I really didn't want to get into.

"Why were you out here anyways?"

"Well… I…" I suddenly felt very hot. All their eyes were on me, curious dark eyes that bore deep into my soul. I really had no great reason, 'Oh I ran away from home,' I'd say, 'Why did you run away?' they'd ask, 'Oh well you see, I just felt like it.' I'd reply then they'd ask 'Just felt like it?' then I'd break down and spill out my whole freakin' life story and then what happens? I'll be sittin' there with this red hot look on my face and I'll freakin' want to die. To _die_. I took a deep breath in and made something up. "I was with my father and then I somehow lost him. My horse then freaked with a rattler and she ran off and bang! I'm lost and alone in the middle of nowhere." _That's really the best thing you could come up with? Great Stevie Rae, just great._

The others looked at me, Amaro with his eyes squinted and the others just plain emotionless. Reid cleared his throat and spoke. "Well maybe while we are riding we will run into your father."

"Do you not remember the way he treated us after saving his daughter?" Amaro inquired his attention momentarily off me. "If he were to see us again with her I am sure we would soon be in trouble once more."

"We can handle it, I suppose. If not we'll just drop her and run like hell."

"What a wonderful plan Reid." Hotah sarcastically stated.

"Got a better idea smart one?"

"Not really."

"That's what I thought."

Rephiam cleared his throat and stood. "Once you are done get ready to move." He turned and walked towards the horses that were busy eating some grass while the ravens searched for worms. I finished quickly and followed him.

"Rephiam! What exactly is goin' to happen? I know that you're lookin' for someone but what—I have no idea what's going on."

"Leave it that way."

"But I'm curious, I can't help it."

"Then learn to not be curious."

"You can't just stop being curious. It's a part of that person's nature."

He stopped and I almost ran into him. Luckily I have some wondrous reflexes. He turned to face me. "A person's nature can change. Take for example the others. They used to be like the 'stereotypical' Black Raven that hurt people and raped women for pleasure. I took command and I changed them and I am still in that process but it is going well and quickly. Let me just warn you _Stevie Rae_, if you become a problem for them I will leave you in the middle of nowhere, my tribe is more important than some girl that I can assure you." He turned again and continued walking off.

I stood in my place, actually quite stunned to hear him talk so dang much and for what he said. I thought about his words, especially the ending part. I shook my head and silently whispered to myself. "You may say that but if you didn't care at all, you would have never helped me in the first place."


	7. Black Raven Initiation

_No POV_

They stayed on the move the whole day, only stopping for bathroom breaks, short rests and to eat, most of the time they had to stop for Stevie Rae. She was starting to get really restless on the back of the horse. She groaned in boredom and stared up at the sky. If the person in front of her wasn't the person in front of her she would have fallen asleep, her head resting on his strong shoulders. She shuddered and shook the thought from her head. She yawned and started to randomly do breathing exercises but that quickly got boring too. She decided that since she was on a horse she would try ridding sidesaddle, couldn't be that hard. She carefully moved her right leg to the left and situated her butt on the round hump of the horse's rump. She couldn't quite get situated. She took out her tongue in concentration. Rephiam then cleared his throat loudly and she looked up at him. He looked back at her with death in his eyes. She giggled nervously and threw her leg back over to the other side. "Sorry." She muttered a big embarrassed grin on her face. He scoffed softly and turned his head away. She half sighed half groaned. Now she's bored again. She looked at the others who were ignoring her. Obviously they saw what she was trying to do since most of them had smiles on their faces. She blushed slightly. She wanted to yell out that she was bored but what good would that do? She pulled her bag into her lap and started digging in it. Her spare clothes, an empty canteen (she filled it up the last time they crossed a river but she drank it all), some crackers and that was about it. She snorted and Shadow's Wing snorted back at her. She giggled and patted the horse's rump. "Are you bored too?" Another snort. She chuckled and pushed her bag onto her back. She sighed. _What about riding backwards? _She thought. She smiled and looked at the back of Rephiam's head. If she was going to do it, how was she going to do it? She thought about it for a moment and then she got it. She placed her hand on the horse and took her right leg and as she picked up her left leg she turned herself. Once again her tongue escaped her mouth in concentration. She was just about to be fully turned when the worse happened.

"What are you doing?"

"Eep!" She fell off the horse and landed on the ground with a thud. "Ow…" She sat on her butt and looked up at Rephiam who gave her an annoyed look. _He expects me to answer. _She thought numbly. She noticed the others were around her, looking at her, waiting for her to speak. "I was uh…" She laughed once. "Tryin' to ride backwards."

"Why would you try that?"

"'Cause I never rode backwards?" She chuckled. "Was never allowed."

Reid laughed once and he covered his mouth and continued laughing. Rephiam gave him a glare and she started snickering. He removed his hand. "She's so freakin' entertaining. First she tried riddin' sidesaddle then—"He erupted in laughter and through his laughter you could hear him trying to apologize.

Rephiam sighed and he shook his head. He looked down at Stevie Rae who by now was standing and glaring at Reid, who was still laughing. "Are you done now?"

She looked at him. "Hm? What? Oh. Yeah sure. I was just bored."

"Hm. Good." He was about to bring her back up on his horse when Hothlepoya stopped him.

"Chief, look at that."

Rephiam turned his attention towards what Hothlepoya pointed out. Out in the distance was a person running towards them and waving, a raven flying before him. Then shouting came out and Rephiam could only think of one thing. "Hey! Hey Black Ravens! Wait! I wanna be a Raven! Wait! Don't go!"

"I vote we leave." Amaro stated. "We do not need another distraction."

Stevie Rae scoffed. "You can't just leave him here, whoever he is."

"A son of either Kalona or one of us no doubt." Hotah stated.

A small kid, not even yet a teenager, stopped before them, panting heavily. He has the same thick, black hair as the others and obviously Native American. He wore brown hide pants and shirt with a vest over the shirt. His moccasin covered his feet and on his back was a book bag probably filled with all his things from home and tied to the outside were some survival tools. A raven landed on his shoulder and cawed loudly. "Thank… Thank the Spirits. I found you guys." He smiled up at them. He straightened from his bent over position. "I have been looking for you guys for months now. I've been following rumors and stuff."

Rephiam got off his horse and walked towards the kid. "How can you be so sure that you are a Black Raven?"

The kid sighed softly. "Well, my mother, Talise, said that she was raped by a Black Raven and that once I was born, Zeina here, came down to me and became my raven."

Rephiam looked at the bird. Any women can claim she was raped by a Raven, but if they were, only their sons can get a raven at birth. "Let me see her."

"Oh yeah. Sure." He looked at his raven and nudged his head over to Rephiam. The bird followed immediately and landed on Rephiam's hand.

Rephiam inspected the bird. He raised his other hand to the bird and clicked his tongue. The bird hopped from one hand to the other. "Hm. Follows directions well." He extended his hand towards the boy and the raven hopped back onto the boy's shoulder. "Fine. If you really are a Black Raven and you found us the first time, you should be able to find us again in The Valley."

Amaro groaned. "Why is it we keep on getting distracted?"

"Shush Amaro."

"The Valley?" The kid asked.

"The Valley." Rephiam confirmed. He got on his horse and yanked Stevie Rae up behind him.

"How am I supposed to get there?"

"You figure it out. Hah!" The Black Ravens ran off on their horses, their path changed due south. The others all laughed at the kid who was shouting out for them, all except Chogan, Rephiam and Stevie Rae.

"That was mean. You should go back and help him."

"No can do." Reid replied. "We all had to prove that we wanted to get into the Black Ravens, we had to prove ourselves."

"This initiation has been the same ever since the original three." Hotah added.

"Even Rephiam and Amaro, the first sons of Kalona, our original leader, had to do it." Finished Hothlepoya.

Stevie Rae shook her head. "It's not right. He could die out here, all alone."

"If he said that he survived out here for months while he looked for us, he can defiantly last a three day journey." Rephiam said.

"For us?"

"For him." Rephiam answered. "We will be at The Valley in less than a day's ride."

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Next chapter you find out what The Valley really is and some more on the nameless kid here… If he survives, mwu-hahaha. Please review. (:


	8. The Valley

_Rephiam_

We reached The Valley earlier than I expected. The high cliffs stretched above us and memories of first seeing this land formation came to me, both kind and gruesome. I looked beside me and saw my brother Amaro with his eyes closed. "You are remembering as well Amaro?"

He looked at me, his facial expression solemn, something rare for my brother. "Yeah." He sighed and looked at the cliffs. "If only things did not go as bad as it did."

"Hm." I looked at the formation as well.

"Um… I thought we were going to a valley?" Stevie Rae inquired.

"We are."

"Um…"

"You will see momentarily." We released our ravens and they flew upwards, up and over the cliffs. We went straight towards our secret entrance and we immediately broke into our posts. Reid and Chogan took the outposts and watched for anyone that might be looking onto us. Hotah and his brother Hothlepoya got off their horses and climbed up the cliff, just enough to see farther out than Reid and Chogan. Meanwhile Amaro and I got off our horses to move the boulder out of the cave's mouth. It is hard work but once the boulder is rolled out of the way the cave is reveled, just big enough for a horse to go through. "Alright, let us get in." I looked at Stevie Rae who had shock written all over her face. "Get down. You have to walk here." She followed orders and walked up to the cave.

"Still don't see a valley."

"Patience girl." Reid said as he stood next to her. In his hands were to sap covered sticks. "Ready to light up?" I gave him a look. _Just light it already. _My thoughts impatiently commented. He transferred one stick to his other hand and pulled out his matches. Striking the box fire came from the little stick and with that he lit one of the larger stick. He blew out the match and threw it onto the floor and handed the lighted one to me. He then lighted the other and we are ready to go in.

"Alright, you know how we get in." I said. I looked at the girl. "It is dangerous in there. The horses know their way but they need the light to see so we have to walk beside them. Stay close to the wall and do not push the horses over."

"Gotcha."

I whistled for Shadow and he came up to me. "Come along Shadow." I grabbed some of his mane and motioned for Stevie Rae to do the same, she did. I started walking and soon the others followed. The formation was simple really. I would be in front trying out the trail followed by at most three others with Reid behind them and the remaining behind him. I took the most dangerous part and usually Amaro would follow me and watch what I do but nowadays he goes wherever he ends up going. He claims he knows what to do, I always say he could learn some more. It went well except for the clinging girl at my back. At some point the trail got at its narrowest and she stopped holding onto Shadow's Wing and decided she cling to me, her hands practically chocking me. I would have pushed her away but first time going through is always a frightening experience… Anyways after that I told her to stop and she let go quickly as if she was ashamed she did that. I then remembered something. "Who is at the end?"

"Chogan." A voice behind me said. I realized it was Hotah.

"Ah. Did he remember to close it most of the way instead of our usual partially?"

"Let me check." I heard mumblings and realized that he was passing down the question to Chogan. It took a moment but I got the answer. "Yes he did. He left a small crack, just big enough for the kid to wedge his fingers in there." He chuckled. "It is just the thing of opening the thing."

"Still wrong… So very wrong…" I heard Stevie Rae mumble to herself.

"Good." I sighed out. I really could not wait until we go out in the open again. After a few more minutes the disappearing sunlight lighted the end of the cave trail. My horse started to get exited, space, freedom, some light before darkness comes again. I took in his excitement. Our horses our linked to our spirits, our souls, and it is very easy to feel their feelings in ourselves. Once Stevie Rae and I stepped out Shadow ran out into the green valley. I heard Stevie Rae gasp softly and I extinguished the light in a small pond beside me. I looked out then and as the others arrived and their horses ran off (except for Reid's who has to wait to get the saddle and reigns off him), I marveled at The Valley. It is a green field surrounded by cliffs with the only ways going in is the cave or climbing up the dangerous cliff sides, fighting the higher altitudes, and dropping down the cliff face on the other side without getting killed. There were few trees but they all were huge, allowing some shade, a river flowed through the center. I had once followed the river and found that it goes into the cave and empties out in an underground lake but where that lake empties out, or even how the river even starts is still a mystery. The Black Ravens' house sat in the distance, on the highest hill, looking down upon everything and then I saw them. Black horses, living wild, yet contained, ran by and our tamed horses joined them and were welcomed with open arms. Reid's horse then ran by and joined them, free of his equipment.

"Rephiam, we are going to the lodge." Hothlepoya said as they walked off.

"Alright. I will be there shortly."

"The lodge?" Stevie Rae asked me.

I pointed towards the house on the hill. "That is the lodge." My finger dropped. I looked beside me and noticed the other stick was extinguished. Good. I started walking and Stevie Rae followed.

"What is this place?"

"The Valley."

"Oh." She looked around. "So those horses are yours?"

"They are not mine. The do not belong to anyone."

"Then how…?"

"When the Black Ravens started we caught these horses and brought them in here when they were young. They grew up here and bred with each other. They belong to us but they are also wild. They are for new additions into the Black Ravens."

"And since you brought them when they were young they don't remember how to get out."

"Exactly."

"Wow. This is your own special place isn't it?"

"Yes and really we should kill you for being in here."

"Oh… But…?"

I stayed silent. How to answer that. I thought for a bit. "But seeing as you have spent a significant amount of time with us and you are also our responsibility, it would not be right if we just killed you."

"Oh…" She seemed disappointed by that answer but I was pretty pleased with it. "So now what?"

"We wait for the child to find us. If he does not come in four days it is safe to assure he is lost or dead somewhere so it is also safe to assure that you are staying with us for an additional three to four days."

She sighed. "I still don't agree with it. No matter if it's the Black Raven tradition. It's stupid." I shook my head and we continued our trek to the lodge in silence.

The Lodge/_Stevie Rae_

I still didn't understand why I got disappointed with Rephiam's answer. I mean come on, the guy's a Black Raven and despite the fact that he's kinder, and has more morals, he's bound to be just like the others, again, despite they act all good. When we reached the lodge I noticed that it was build like a log cabin. "Who built this?"

"Well… My father wanted something stronger than a tent so the original three build it out of wood."

"Oh…" Outside there was a randomly placed wooden pole. It was tall and looked almost like a flagpole. We entered the lodge and I was even more impressed with the inside. There was furniture, and I know this sounds bad but I really didn't expect it. Though I didn't see any beds I saw chairs and tables and cabinets, hopefully filled with hygiene credentials and kitchen ware. I noticed that when you enter the door immediately to the left is a ladder leading to what looked like a hay-less loft. The guys sat there and ignored us as we walked in through the door. Rephiam closed the door behind me and I suddenly felt really nervous. Here I am in a one room little house with six Black Ravens. I stayed by the door, silently refusing to move any father.

Hotah stretched, using the back of his chair to bend backwards. "So Chief, where is she going to stay while we wait?"

Rephiam stopped and looked at him. The others started to ask the same question. Chogan sighed. "Well it is apparent to me that she is safer alone but then she is not. She would have to stay with one of us but then…"

Rephiam sighed and placed a hand on his head. He obviously hadn't thought this out all the way. Then he looked up, a serious face on. "She will stay up in the loft with me. No one is to climb up there when she is alone without asking me first." Maybe he did have this planned out.

"That is not fair Rephiam." Hotah smiled widely. "You always have her."

"All the more to continue leaving her with me."

Amaro raised an eyebrow and dropped it. "I agree with him. She is most likely more comfortable with Rephiam and besides all that we all know Rephiam will not do a thing to her."

The other muttered softly. "Sure why not?" Reid practically yelled. "I agree too. With Mr. Morals over there, she's bound to be safest with him."

Hothlepoya nodded. "And besides, the loft is more than big enough for four people; they can stay on separate ends which should ease off tension." The guys chuckled and laughed all except Rephiam who still had his serious face on.

"Hothlepoya, Reid and Amaro, go out and prepare food and a fire; you can decide who does what. Chogan I want you to set up in here, Hotah, check the horses and see if you can't find the birds. I will go up in the loft and set it up there while Stevie Rae…"

"Yes?"

He looked at me and I wondered if he didn't know what to do with me. "Stay out of our way." Yep. He didn't know what to do with me. I rolled my eyes and scoffed and they all broke out into their tasks. Rephiam went to a cabinet and pulled out some blankets, some looking like they were made by Indians, other manufactured and probably stolen. He climbed up and that left me alone with Chogan down at the bottom.

"So… Chogan, do you need any help?"

He looked up from finding some blankets out of the same cabinets Rephiam was recently in. "Sure I suppose. What about you look in those cabinets over there and set up the table for seven. You are also going to have to move a chair to the table too." He went back to looking for blankets while I set off doing my task. While I was moving the chair I noticed that there were three windows, one by the door on the right when you come in, and one on the side of the house and a small one in the loft which I barely saw. I kept on looking up at the loft. It was so quiet up there, I even wondered if Rephiam was up there. Either way I continued setting up the table and Chogan finished just as I had. Rephiam came down short moments afterwards and we all sat in silence, except for Chogan playing his flute. Rephiam sat in a corner carving a piece of wood while I just sat in my chair waiting, listening and watching. I sighed and placed my head in my hand while my elbow rested on the table. I'm bored again.

An hour must have passed by before food was actually prepared and brought it. It usually takes less, Hothlepoya being a good hunter and all, but I guess they had to get out of the cave and come back in lugging around enough food for at least three days which was probably another reason it took so long. We all ate deer in silence and Rephiam sat at the head of the table. I looked around the table as I chewed the meat. Amaro sat to the right of Rephiam, Chogan opposite of him, and Hotah beside him, his brother in front of him, I sat beside Hothlepoya and Reid sat in front of me. I only realized then that this is the closest thing to a full family dinner I've had in years. Back when momma was still alive and her family came over to eat. My father would sit at the head, I'd sit where Chogan sits and momma where Amaro is and whoever grabbed a seat would sit there. I smiled softly but it faded. My poor father. He must be really lonely sitting there in the table that was too much room for the both of us… I swallowed and felt coldness spreading through my body. Why did I run away? Now the guilt's getting to me. Goosebumps formed on my arms and tears started to form. I didn't even notice a tear fell until Hothlepoya handed me an extra napkin.

"Are you alright Stevie Rae?" He asked me softly. I gave a court smile and nod and took the napkin, rubbing it into my corneas to stop the tears. I thanked him and throughout the rest of the night I refused to look at anyone. I fell asleep by crying.

Somewhere in the plains/_The Kid_

I waited by the fire I had built a few moments ago. I had just finished my rabbit and was waiting for Zeina to come back to me. I got tired of waiting and just tired in general so I decided to fall asleep. This was she woke me up not ten minutes after I fell asleep. She cawed loudly in my ear and I groaned and rolled over. I heard wings flapping and I felt her claws on my shoulder. She once again cawed loudly in my ear. I groaned and sat up suddenly. She fell off and started cawing angrily at me. "That's what you get for waking me." She cawed once and turned her head at me. I sighed. "Sorry. Sorry for making you fall off." She cawed softly which meant she accepted my apology. I wondered if the other Black Ravens have birds this annoying and noisy. Probably not. Oh how I envy them. She cawed again and I focused my attention on her again. "So, did you follow them without them noticing?"

'Caw!' Yes!

"So you found where they were going?"

'Caw, caw! Caw, caw, caw!' Of course! I followed 'em didn't I!

"Alright. Good job. So first thing in the morning, you're leading me to them."

'Caw! Caw, caw.' Yep! Hope I don't forget.

"Don't play like that Zeina." She cawed one last time. I smiled at her and petted her before I fell asleep and before she woke me again. This time she was angry at me because I didn't save her any scraps from the rabbit.

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Please review! My fav part of this chapter was the end with the still nameless kid talking to his bird. (: What's your favorite part so far in the whole story or in this chapter?


	9. A New Black Raven?

Next morning/_Rephiam_

I woke up and looked over to the girl sleeping on a blanket, another being pulled closed to her. I could not help but smile a little. She looks so innocent when she sleeps. I climbed down the ladder and woke the others, telling them all to be quiet. We went out and did our usual morning chores whenever we are in The Valley. We pulled our horses away from the others and led them to the river to wash them down, as well as the birds despite who much they despise a cleaning. We released the animals again and we worked around the lodge. We did not have enough strength, nor time to check on the damages of the lodge. It is rare that it is so badly damaged but with the weather and such it does take a beating if no one takes care of it. The only problems we really found were a few scattered holes in the wood and on the roof some tiles were shattered and need to be replaced. We then broke into three groups, one to prepare the food outside, another to start working on the damages and the other to clean up and set up the inside for breakfast. I moved from group to group, supervising and helping whenever I can. By the time the food was ready Stevie Rae still had not woken up so I climbed up and woke the girl. I placed a hand gently on her shoulder and shook her lightly. She groaned softly and turned over. I placed my hand on her shoulder again and this time I shook her harder and that seemed to bring her out. "Huh? What?" She looked at me and gave me and inquiring look.

"Get up. Breakfast is done." Since I could not stand without hitting my head on the roof I sat on my knees to make myself seem bigger, simply out of habit. "Then afterwards you may bathe. There is soap and cloths you can use. I will make sure the others do not disturb you."

She smirked. "You too right?"

"Of course."

Her smirk faltered and she gave me a serious look all of a sudden. "Did the kid come here yet?"

"No. As I said it will take at least three days."

"Oh…" She cracked her neck and then rubbed it with one hand. "Deer for breakfast?"

"Dear for breakfast."

_Stevie Rae_

I was really, really, like _really_ starting to hate deer. I picked at the meat and silently wished for a big plate filled with eggs, bacon, toast and a glass of orange juice to plop down in front of me. I sighed at the thought and reluctantly ate the deer in front of me. This time breakfast wasn't as quiet as last night's dinner. There were soft conversations between the guys. Rephiam talked with his brother and I tried tuning in to what they were saying, ignoring the other conversations.

"So when the kid gets here, if he even does, then what? We still have to teach him the ropes and we cannot keep her as a pet forever Rephiam."

"I know Amaro. We will just have to move immediately after he comes; maybe give him a day's rest, especially after catching his own horse."

"Then we will drop her off somewhere right? I mean we cannot just take her with us to confront Kain."

"Once again, I know Amaro." Rephiam placed a hand on his chin and looked over to me. I quickly turned my head away and started 'eating'. "Maybe there will be a village or settlement."

"An Indian one?" Amaro sounded winded.

In the corner of my eye Rephiam turned his attention back to Amaro and I turned my head slightly. "What choice do we have Amaro? At least with the other Indian tribes we can use our ties to insure that she can stay with them."

"Our ties? Rephiam our ties with the tribes are horrible at best. All the tribes know us and the ones where our mothers live in completely hate us to the point that they will act exactly like Raymer did to us. I do not think that anywhere is safe. That is the reason we are always on the move."

"Do you think I do not know that Amaro? I know alright? What choice do we have?"

Amaro sighed and ran a hand through his loose hair. "I suppose you are right. Now it is just the problem of finding a tribe that will at least listen to us."

"I have one in mind."

"Please do not tell me…" Rephiam only nodded and Amaro shook his head unbelievingly. "I cannot believe this Rephiam."

"I understand Amaro." And like that their conversation ended. They ate in silence and it seemed to me that the others were paying attention as well for they all quieted down and continued eating in silence as well. I suppose that Rephiam knew I was listening in because he looked up straight at me and held my gaze. I pulled away from his gaze and stared at my plate, still feeling his eyes on me.

Boulder/_Dallas_

_At least Mr. Johnson is a little bit better._ I think to myself as I ride into town. I hitch up my horse and Beau took a drink from the trough before him. I climbed up the stairs of the town hall and checked in with the receptionist, Ms. Beasley, before making my way to his office. I knocked and when I didn't hear anything I opened the door slightly and peeped in. "Sir?" There lay Mr. Johnson on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table and a cold coffee beside his feet. "Sir?" I asked again before coming into the room.

"Dallas," he called to me. I went to his side as he continued. "Dallas, I don't know what to do anymore. I sent out the search group and they couldn't find anything. Not a piece of cloth from her clothes, not tracks. I sent them out again moments ago, this time I told them to go farther and search in all directions. They even have the hounds with them but the scent is old." He groaned as he sat up and his feet fell numbly off the table. "What's worse is that none of the other towns in a radius of 100 miles haven't seen her. How far could she have gone? Where could she be? She could have been captured by outlaws, or worse, Indians, or even worse, the Black Ravens. She could be dead in the desert from starvation and heat after they put their slimy hands over her and took turns raping her and-"

"Sir!" I yelled out. He jumped slightly and looked at me for the first time. "Stop." My voice shook a little. "Stop." I repeated this time without my voice shaking. "She's alive, I know it. But you can't keep pushing yourself down and sayin' all these things that encourage the worse. All I'm sayin' is to not give up hope. She wouldn't want that. And I can assure you that for as long as I live I will keep looking for her and I will not rest until I find her you hear? She is important to you, to me, hell to the whole town. But you can't do this to yourself. You're our leader and when you panic the whole town panics. You need to be the leader you were elected to be and god damn it, be strong."

"…"

"Well?" I yelled out.

"… You're right Dallas." He stood and straightened his clothing. "I'm going to lead this town and I'm gonna keep my head up high."

"You do that sir." I said, giving him a small salute. "Now if you excuse me, I'm actually going to do something for this." I turned and walked out of the room. I went straight towards Beau and quickly unhitched him and got on him. "Come on Beau. We've got a girl to find." I kicked my stallion and he rushed out through the town, heading where my gut tells me, east.

The Valley/_No POV_

Stevie Rae yawned as she waited for Rephiam to bring her the bath stuff. He came over the hill and quickly handed over the essentials. "Why the hurry?" She blurted out. He froze and looked at her. She held her lips together, keeping them shut. He shook his head and quickly went over the hill. She sighed and placed the cloth and soap on the ground. She then quickly stripped and when into the river with the soap and cloth and started to bath. She felt at piece and was really happy to be getting cleaned. She forgot then the hurry she needed to execute and she took her time. What snapped her out of it was a sudden sound of a throat clearing. She squealed loudly and dropped into the water. Her head poked up out and she saw Rephiam on the shore, clothes in hand, her clothes, her _extra _pair of clothes at that.

"Found this is your bag." He placed it on the ground and stood. He looked at her a little bit longer and he turned and walked away. Stevie Rae became as red as a tomato. Not only did he just see her bathing, but he looked at her clothes in her bag which means… She quickly finished and looked through the clothes he had brought to her. Sure enough there were her white undergarments. She turned even redder and whimpered silently. That whimper turned into a loud squeal as the embarrassment took over her.

Getting over the embarrassment she put on her clothes, a light pink, almost white, flowered shirt, some grey pants that were actually a very small guy's pants, and of course her shoes and undergarments. She sighed deeply and she got started and cleaning her old clothes in the river. Once she was done she picked up everything and made her way over to the lodge and to her surprise, the kid that they saw just yesterday stood in front of Rephiam and they were conversing. She quickly went over there with the thought of 'It takes three days to get here walking' in her head. She caught the last bit of the conversation. "So all I need to do is catch a horse and then I'm in?"

"Of course. But let me tell you that catching one of these horses is not an easy task. So far the record to beat is under three minutes, a record set by Hotah."

The kid sighed heavily and looked at Hotah. Stevie Rae guessed that they already went through the introductions. "And it's 'cause you have a thing with animals."

"You got that right." Hotah confirmed with a grin."

"Alright." The kid said as he turned back to Rephiam. "I'm your man. I'm going to get this horse." He then looked over to Stevie Rae. "Oh hey…" He said quietly. "What's a girl doing here?"

Rephiam looked over at me and then back at the kid. "Wylie, she is Stevie Rae. We got stuck with her when she ran away from home."

Stevie Rae jumped slightly. She was sure she gave them a different story. Then she realized that a horrible liar she is, they probably read right past her lie and figured out the truth. "Oh. Alright." Wylie said. He walked up to her and extended a hand. "Hello. My name's Wylie, last name not important. This is Zeina and do you need a hand with that?"

Stevie Rae transferred everything to one arm and hand so she could shake Wylie's hand. "Hey Wylie, hello Zeina. And uh… sure. I could use some help." She then gave him the soap and the cloth and she turned to Rephiam. "I need a place to hang these so they dry and could someone fill me in."

"Wylie can himself and you could string some rope from the lodge to that pole over there. Reid, help her out."

"Will do." Reid said as he went towards the back of the lodge for some rope.

"Come on." Rephiam said. "The rest will come with me as we try to get the wild horses together. Wylie, hurry up so we can get this over with."

"Will do sir."

"Call him Chief." Stevie Rae blurted out again. Thankfully this time Rephiam was already a ways away. "That's what the others call him."

"Alright. Thanks." Reid came there and quickly strung up the rope and took the soap and placed it on a barrel and left without another word. "They're all in a hurry." Wylie stated as he jumped up and placed the cloth on the rope.

"Yeah well… I don't know." She walked up to the rope and sighed. "Hold these for me and I'll put them up."

"I can do that." Wylie took the clothes and Zeina got of his shoulder and flew up to the top of the pole.

Stevie Rae took the first article of clothing, her skirt, and hung it up. "So how are old are you to begin with?"

"I'm twelve and just so you know, I left the tribe early because they kept on treating me badly for being a son of a Black Raven, they also kept on trying to kill Zeina. My mother was the only one who really took care of me so I left."

"Oh…" She took her shirt and shook it out before placing it on the rope. "How did you find us so quickly? Rephiam said it would take three days to get here."

"He told me the same thing." Wylie smiled up at her as she took another article of clothing. "Zeina helped me. When they left I sent her after them, to watch where they were going. She stayed until she saw them get in here and then she came back to me. Early this morning, immediately when the sun came up, she lead me here."

"She's really smart." A caw from Zeina sounded.

Wylie giggled. "She said thanks."

Stevie Rae giggled and continued placing the clothes on the rope. The two talked and talked. Stevie Rae couldn't understand why she was so open with the kid, maybe it was because he was a kid. Still innocent and not corrupted by the Black Ravens. A sad thought crossed her mind then. _Once he becomes a Black Raven, there goes his innocence. _Once they were finished they went ahead and walked down to where the others held the horses, against a cliff wall and all the ravens flew around in circles above the madness. Rephiam broke apart when they got close. "Alright Wylie. Get one."

Wylie looked up at Stevie Rae. "Wish me luck!" He went in to the fray then and tried catching a horse with nothing but his hands.

"Rephiam, he'll get killed." Stevie Rae said, fear in her voice.

"He will be fine. If it gets too heated we will go in there and save him if he wishes."

"If he wishes?"

"Yes because once we help him we kill his bird and he can never be a Black Raven."

"What?"

"It is tradition. It only happened once before."

"And what happened to him?"

"He decided he would try again and without us there he got trampled to death." Rephiam then went back to the blockade.

"Oh gosh." Fear just stayed inside her and without warning Zeina landed on her shoulder and cawed softly. "You're worried too?"

'Caw…'

"Yeah. I know."

The horses neighed and snorted and stomped and with each passing moment the danger level grew. The worse part that all those horses, about eight by her count, were in a small area and they couldn't get out. It was four and a half fear filled moments before a scream erupted the air and the Black Ravens pulled away as the wild horses rushed out. Stevie Rae feared the worse and Zeina on her shoulder lowered her head in fear. Then out came Wylie riding a horse and whooping wildly with happiness and excitement. "Who-hoo! I'm a Raven! Zeina, we're part of the Black Ravens now! Whoo!" Wylie laughed and Zeina flew up and followed Wylie as he tried to get a handling on his horse. Once the horse calmed down he directed the horse back to the others. By that time the ravens had landed on their master's shoulders.

Chogan pulled forward and evaluated Wylie while he was on the horse. "He seems alright. No major cuts, just bruises."

"Good job buddy." Reid gave him a thumbs up.

"Congratulations." Hothlepoya and Hotah said at the same time.

"Yeah… Welcome to the Ravens." Amaro said unenthusiastically.

Rephiam pulled out from the group and stayed before Wylie. "What are you going to name him?"

"Hm…" Wylie placed a finger on his chin and closed his eyes. Zeina landed on Wylie's shoulder and cawed a few times, each time there was a small lapse of time. Stevie Rae realized that the raven was giving out suggestions on the horse's name. After a few seconds he smiled and opened his eyes and started petting his horse. "I'll name him Zacard." Zeina cawed loudly and happily and Stevie Rae took it that Wylie had picked one of her names.

Rephiam nodded. "Welcome to the Black Ravens Wylie, his raven Zeina, and his horse Zacard." Rephiam bowed his head, so did Mocker and Shadow's Wing. Like dominos the others bowed and in lieu of the moment Stevie Rae bowed her head as well.

Wylie smiled and bowed his head as well and both of his animals did as well, as if it was natural. "Thank you for admitting me into your tribe." All at once they raised their heads. The Black Ravens just gained one more.

* * *

Please review! Oh and what do you think of the Black Raven's initiation traditions?


	10. Training, Bond & Longing

_Rephiam_

I walked to the river Wylie's steps behind me. "I heard the others talk about you and Stevie Rae. Are you friends or something? I heard from the others that you're gonna take her home? Like what's her story? Are you guys together? Is she going to be staying long? I've heard that you're going to leave her in a Cherokee tribe while we go against Kain, whoever he is. Is it true? Why can't you just leave her here? Wouldn't she be safe?"

I groaned and stopped. "Wylie, stop asking questions." I turned to face him.

He looked up at me, pail in hand. I just needed him to help me fetch water not talk me to death. He is worse than Stevie Rae when she starts babbling. "Okay… But I need to know. I'm a Raven aren't I?"

"Yes." I say. Why is everything so difficult? "She ran away from home and since we had saved her once before we took her under our care and we were going to drop her at a town but that did not work as planned. We are going to take her home at some point but she will not be staying with us for long. Immediately after I kill Kain we are going to take her straight home. And we cannot just leave her here because she is incapable in fending for herself for long."

"Oh… You didn't answer a question."

"And what question is that?" I asked exasperated.

"… Are you together?"

"By what terms?"

"Like, I don't know. Um… Like together you know?" I blinked at him. "Are you more than friends?"

The question threw for me off for the slightest of moments. "We are not even friends."

"So what? She's a pet?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then what?" He yelled out. "You're relationship is more confusing than that of a bear nursing a deer."

Wylie is really getting on my nerves. "She is just a responsibility."

"Like a pet."

"Not…" I sighed, calming myself. "Not like a pet."

"Then—"

"That is enough. We are fetching water in silence."

"But—"

"In silence!"

_Stevie Rae_

I sat in the loft patching up some clothing for the guys as well as a hole that was in my skirt that I hadn't noticed before. Rephiam and Wylie came back with the water longer than expected. "Gee, what'd you do? Fall into the river?" Reid asked as they came into the lodge.

"Wylie was talking me to death." Rephiam answered as he placed the pail next to the door. "Place that other one over there."

"I was not talking you to death. You're still alive are you?" Wylie sneered as he followed Rephiam's order.

Amaro snorted. "Not one full day with us yet and Wylie already sneered at you. Rephiam you need to learn better people skills." Rephiam snorted and I felt like chuckling but I kept it in.

"It's his fault. He wasn't being clear with the answers." Wylie complained.

"You were asking too many questions."

The kid scoffed and walked over to an empty chair and sat down. "Apparently not enough because I still don't know who this Kain guy is. All I know is that you want to kill him."

I looked over to Rephiam who was leaning against the window frame and was looking out. "All you need to know is that he is not a person you do not want to be around for long."

About 150 miles away/_No POV_

His gang plundered the village to no end. They set fire to any building that was not of any use to them. It was a marvelous plan. One that he knew would go off without a hitch. They were to go in the pitch black and first knock out the sheriff and the deputy and slit their throats while they were out of it. Then it was on to the bank as the owner walks out of it to close for the night. With a well place pistol to the head, he as well as two others went into the bank and forced the banker to open the safe. Once that was done there was no use for him so _bang_, in went a bullet through the head. There would be panic from the shot of course. He went out and his other members invaded the buildings that were useful while others burned. They killed anyone that retaliated, killed anyone old, killed the children and kept only the beautiful women alive. Within the span of 15 minutes they had over taken the whole town. He chuckled as he went into the office of their dead mayor, his body against the white walls, blood pooling around him. He threw himself into his seat and called in for the women he picked out. They were pushed in, the doors slamming behind him. They were tied and gagged. He smiled and before the fun commenced he looked out the window into the horizon. "Soon you will be punished for your betrayal and I will once again take command of what is mine."

The Valley, the next morning/_No POV_

Rephiam woke early and woke everyone up, except for Stevie Rae. "Wylie." He called over after the kid finished eating. "You are going through training. You will learn to fight and then you will pick one other specialty. Talk to the others."

"I already know what I want to be."

"And that would be?"

"I want to be a healer."

Chogan choked on his water and looked at the kid. "A healer?"

Wylie looked over to him. "Yeah. Like you."

Rephiam nodded. "Alright Wylie. You will be a healer. You follow Chogan and you will learn." He turned and started to usher the others out and to work. He followed them out to instruct them more.

Wylie smiled and walked over to Chogan. Chogan put his dishes in a tub and looked over to Wylie. "I am sorry to say I do not know how to teach well."

"Oh that's alright. My mother taught me some already. I just need to learn a bit more." He said with a shrug.

"Your mother… Talise."

"Yes. You remember."

"Yes." Chogan smiled softly at him. He placed a hand on top of his head. "Yes I remember your mother."

Stevie Rae gasped. "You're his father!" The two looked up at the loft. Stevie Rae had been awake since Rephiam got up. She pretended to sleep while she listened in on the Black Ravens' conversations. She climbed down the ladder and by this time Chogan's hand was off his son's head. "I knew you two looked alike."

Chogan blinked. He thought she was asleep. "Yep." Wylie smiled.

Stevie Rae chuckled and looked at Chogan. "And by the way you sail Talise you actually loved her. It wasn't just rape or was it not rape?"

"No. It was rape." Chogan admitted. "True I loved Talise, I guess I still do. I was born in the same tribe she's in. We were always friends and I never once wanted to be a Black Raven. I wanted to stay with her and be with her but Kalona, he wanted his friend to help him start a new tribe based on new rules, new traditions and culture. He forced me into it really. He along with Takoda and I built the Black Ravens."

"You're one of the original three? And wasn't Takoda the Raven that—"

"Died in Raymer yes and yes I am an original three to my disgrace." Chogan sighed softly. "Kalona… He wanted to rape women, not so much Takoda but he agreed with him after a while. Kalona was the one who knew about The Valley and the ravens. You see the ravens are from here too and he knew that these animals in here are in a way charmed by the spirits. They can get bonded to masters. He took us and we all received our animals. We went back to my tribe then, mainly because Kalona was unwelcomed in his tribe and Takoda's tribe was farther away. It was then that the Black Ravens truly came to be. We all raped the women, some more than others. I only 'raped' one, Talise, only because I could not bear the thought of her being raped by either Kalona or Takoda. I did not like it one bit. We ran away, leaving my tribe in shambles. I thought she would hate me so I never once looked back, never once went back, and never once thought of her again, until Wylie showed up."

"Oh… Chogan." Stevie Rae silently said.

Wylie smiled sympathetically at his dad. "Don't worry father. She's not mad. She understands. She even left the tribe to look for you but she couldn't find you."

Chogan nodded slowly. Then his facial expression changed. "She named you Wylie?"

His son laughed. "No. My name is actually Raging Buffalo and there was a white traveler with his son that came by and his name was Wylie and I thought, 'Hey, that's much better than Raging Buffalo'."

Stevie Rae blinked. "…"

"… Well. Let us train you Wylie."

Stevie Rae chuckled and as they walked out the lodge she prepared her breakfast and to her dismay it was deer again.

_Rephiam_

I watched over while Wylie was being trained. Amaro did most of the fighting techniques and training while the others pitched in whenever information could be added. I would be down there with them training the child but I would not be able to be of any assistance. I know the same thing as the others do and I would just be standing and watching when I could be sitting and watching from a rock. I half scoffed, half laughed at myself. No matter how much I try to _not _be like my father it always seemed like there is no escaping genetics. I shake my head and pull out my knife and start toying with it. Throwing it up in the air and catching it over and over. After a while my watching over became more of staring numbly into space though my knife throwing did not wane at all. I thought about what could have been or what would be different if everything just stayed the way it is supposed to. No Black Ravens, just Native Americans being moved onto territories. Just fights between white men and Indians and not between white men, Indians and the Black Ravens. I seriously wondered if the world would be better without us, if there would not be as much commotion without us. I shook my head no. There would always be problems, opinions that differ from another's, beliefs and culture and religion as well. As long as those are still alive and well there would always be commotion and issues. The Black Ravens are just a manifestation of all that, the black demons that thrive of hardships and problems. The footsteps behind me broke me of my thinking. I stopped throwing the knife and was ready to throw it back if necessary. She sighed and stood beside me. I put the knife away and re-continued watching the training. "Shouldn't you be down there with them?" She asked me.

"No. I do not have much to offer."

"But you're their leader. There must be something you can offer."

"Nothing at all."

She sat down in the ground, cross-legged, and from what I could see from the corner of my eye, she too was watching them train. "You could train alongside him. It could give him inspiration." I scoffed softly. "Alright…" She said slowly. "Then if you don't have anything to offer them then maybe you can help me."

That sparked my curiosity. I look over to her. "Help you with what?"

"I'm bored."

"And?"

"I…" She giggled nervously. "I want to ride."

"Ride a horse?"

"Yes." She answered almost happily. "My father wouldn't allow me to ride horses. He says it's un-ladylike, whatever that means." She grinned at me.

I shake my head. "There is not one horse here you can ride."

"I was thinkin' about your horse."

"Shadow's Wing?" I asked her. She could not be serious.

"Yeah. I mean he knows me. I ride him all the time with you."

"Yes with _me. _He is not good with others when I am not there."

"Well then I'll make good with me. I know a way to a horse's heart. Not that hard really." I looked away with a grown. Her country twang is worse than Reid's. Though I find it annoying when he speaks _too _much, I find it actually sounds… _cute _when she speaks. "Oh pretty please?" She asked. I look over and there she is kneeling now, looking straight at me _and _she is batting her eyes. "Please?" She asks again.

I am so taken back by this that I actually laugh and smile. "If I agree will you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" She asks innocently as she leans in and bats her eyes again.

"That!" I almost yell out as I lean away and my smile grows.

She giggles and placed a hand daintily over her mouth. "Okay!" She stands and like an instant she becomes perfectly normal. "Let's go!" What have I gotten myself into?

I whistle for Shadow and he obeyingly comes over. "Good boy." I look over to Stevie Rae and she looks at me with a smile. I look away and sigh. "What have I gotten myself into?" I whisper to myself. I have the reins in my hands which I borrowed from Reid. I have only once put reins on Shadow and the first time was not pleasant. This time he took it a bit more gently as I place the bit in his mouth and fit the reins onto his face. "Alright Stevie Rae, do you need help getting up?"

"I wouldn't need help if there was a saddle."

"I am not putting a saddle on him because he has never worn a saddle before and I am not allowing you to get on him when he is trying out the saddle." I look over to her and she turns away, an even greater smile on her face. I silently wonder what it was I said but I shrug it off and help her onto the horse. She gets herself situated on his back. While she did that I walked in front of Shadow and told him what exactly is happening. "She is going to ride you all by herself. I will be right here so do not try anything rash." He whinnied. I started pulling him by the reins at first, getting him situated with Stevie Rae on his back while she talked to him, petting him and telling him more about herself. Then after a while I let them go and to my astonishment he followed her and went where she wanted to go. She went down to where the others were still training and stopped there. Communicated with them for a bit before riding around once more. I stood and watched as she led Shadow into the wild herd and they ran beside them for a while before coming back over to me.

"That was great!" She laughed as she got off the horse. I took the reins off him while she told me about the experience of ridding him. "He gallops so smoothly! Of course you know because you ride him but it's so difficult to tell when he's carrying two people. He is amazing! He listened to me too did you see? I told you I could get him to listen to me." I only nod as I release him, muttering a small thanks to him for allowing her to ride him. "That was great!" She yelled out as she fell to the ground and catched her breath.

Later that night_/No POV_

After the training and dinner the group broke into their own things. Wylie stayed with Amaro, Reid and Chogan as he trained some more while Hothlepoya and Hotah were busy gutting out some fox that they killed for food and fur. Rephiam had disappeared and Stevie Rae embarrassingly noticed that she had not thanked him for ridding his horse. She asked the training guys but most of them didn't know where he had gone. Amaro guessed that he was on the cliff. He pointed the way without a second thought and went on to the training. Stevie Rae followed the direction Amaro pointed at and found a small edge that led up the cliff face. Since it was dark she followed the edge, both hands on the wall and her foot always testing the ground before her. She found him sitting on the edge of the rock face and she decided to join him. He looked at her. "How did you get up here?"

"I followed the edge." He nodded once and looked out again. They sat in silence, something they always did. They just enjoyed each other's presence even if they didn't want to admit it. "So…" Stevie Rae started, "um… I suppose that you um, I don't know, care?"

"For what?" He turned his head.

"Hm… I don't know…" She mumbled, her finger tracing the course sand nervously. She thought about earlier that day when Rephiam wouldn't allow her to get on a saddled Shadow. "I guess… About me?"

He stared at her and she stared at him. He silently scoffed and turned his head away. "Why would I care for you?" She never understood why he always pushed her away. It was getting on her nerves.

"Well… You're taking care of me, you protect me, you usually never leave me alone, you—"

"I am only doing that because of the others."

"But they won't do anything to me." She countered.

"Then you obviously do not know them as well as I."

Silence came again and usually she would bask in his presence as they usually did but she was getting angry. She wanted him to admit it, to say anything. She practically did just a moment ago. "I know you care for me. You have to."

"No I do not."

"I know you do. I just feel it."

"You feel nothing."

"How do you know what I'm feeling?" She asked angrily. She was going to get it out of him wither he liked it or not.

"I do not, but I know that I do not feel anything."

"You do." She almost yelled out. She was becoming frantic. "You must have feelings besides the stereotypical anger and lust."

"I do—"

"No you don't! You're just a Black Raven! Just as bad as your fa—"

"Do not say that word." He looked at her with murder in his eyes.

She, for a moment, got frightened but that passed over. She was going to say it, despite how little she knew of the Black Ravens and their founder. "As bad as your _father_!"

"That is it." He grabbed her roughly by the arm and threw her onto the ground. She yelped out at the sudden movement and within seconds she found him laying on top of her and in the next second a big hand went around her neck, pressing just tight enough into her neck. "You want a Black Raven Stevie Rae? You want a Raven like my father?" He placed one leg over her legs and now her legs were between his. "I could rape you right here and now and you would be helpless. Then I could kill you by coking you, right where my hand is." To emphasize he pressed his hand harder into her neck, she gasped in effect. "Here is your stereotypical Black Raven and to get the point across, I am _not _like my father. Understand?" He almost yelled out. She grumbled a sound of understanding. "This is how it should be." He muttered more to himself that to her. "You should be scared, you should hate me, yet you do not." His hand was cutting off her breathing and she had to hold back tears of pain. Just as suddenly as he had pinned her his lips crashed onto hers. Her eyes widened and the hand on her neck disappeared and moved to her waist. After the shock wore over Stevie Rae closed her eyes and kissed the Black Raven back. He kissed her roughly, his lips sliding over hers as he did most of the work. In the back of her mind Stevie Rae realized this was her first kiss, her first kiss was with a Black Raven and more specifically Rephiam. She copied his movements and formed her lips with his. She found her arms wrapping around his neck and just as quickly as the kiss had started it ended. She breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. He loomed over her, completely normal as if nothing had happened. He got off of her and stood. She propped herself on her elbows and looked at him, her eyes shimmering with the quick and rough and passionate kiss from just moments ago. Without another word he turned and walked away, leaving her alone on the ridge.

After she had regained her breath and she went over the event before she stood. Why did he leave? Why did he kissed me and leave? Why did he threatened me, kissed me and _then _left? The question rushed through her head over and over as she walked back down the ridge. She reached the small lodge and noticed Rephiam wasn't there. She asked Wylie where he went. "He stopped by but then he took Shadow and galloped off. I don't know where he went." She felt a mix of sadness and more anger. Sadness because he's gone, anger because he's gone. Reid offered her dinner but she passed saying that she wasn't hungry. She climbed up to the loft and laid down in her itchy hay bed. She pulled the blanket over her and slowly drifted to bed with small tears streaming down her face.

* * *

Whew… Let me just say, longest chapter _ever_. 8 pages in word. Anyways... Please review.


	11. The Low Trust Level

_No POV_

The next morning she woke when a hand roughly fell over her mouth. Her eyes snapped open to see Hotah above her, a dark, lusty shimmer shining in his eyes. She started to panic and kicking. His hand stayed on her mouth while his other hand yanked the blanket off her and then started untying his pants. Her muffled cries worried her. She was about to be raped, actually raped, and no one could hear her. "Shut up." She heard him growl at her. She shook her head and tried even harder to get out of his grasp. The next thing she knows he is yanked off her and thrown out of the loft. A thud followed by a pain filled grunt told her that he hit the floor, hard. While she was regaining herself she looked over to the stairs to see a head go down the stairs. The sound of a punch being thrown and then a body being pulled out the front door was heard next. She got on her hands and knees and crawled over to the small round window. She saw the other Black Ravens around the pole that is into the ground. Rephiam then appeared dragging Hotah by his shirt collar. He threw him towards the pole and Reid and Amaro stood him up and tied him to the pole.

Rephiam was pissed. He goes into the loft wanting to talk to Stevie Rae about last night's events and he is welcomed by the sound of her muffled cries. Next thing he sees is Hotah above her. He cracked his knuckles. "Rephiam, what did Hotah do?" Asked Hothlepoya.

"He was about to rape Stevie Rae."

"What?" The others yelled.

Hotah looked up at Rephiam. "Yeah I was."

"Why brother?" Hothlepoya asked. "Why? I would have expected this from Amaro but not from you."

Amaro looked at Hothlepoya. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Why brother?" Hotah copied in a menacing voice. "Because I conquer nature. Horses, animals, women. It does not matter. And I was going to conquer her."

Reid scoffed. "I would have expected this from Amaro."

"Seriously?" Amaro asked unbelievingly. "Why me? Why would you expect it from me?"

"She is not yours to conquer Hotah." Rephiam answered.

"Then who is allowed to Rephiam?" Hotah challenged. Rephiam remained silent. He really didn't want to deal with this, with him. He was more concerned with Stevie Rae. He turned and started to walk away from Hotah. "It is you, is it not? You are the one who is going to take her. I have known this from the start. The very moment you first saved her." Rephiam stopped. "Face it Rephiam, you have fallen in love with a girl, a mayor's daughter of all things. But we all have Rephiam. In different ways but we have all fallen in love with her." Rephiam turned. What was he getting at? "Chogan and his little son over there love her as a sister, Hothlepoya and Reid as a good friend, Amaro as an ally and me, as a way to fully prove myself over everything else." Rephiam scoffed softly and turned and started to walk again. Hotah laughed. "This is the great and mighty Black Raven leader Rephiam. More a diplomat than a warrior and more a weakling than anything else. You may have changed the tribe for the better Rephiam but in doing so you became weak. If Kalona was here he would have punished you and rewarded me."

Rephiam stopped dead in his tracks and turned on his heels. "What did you say?"

"I am indirectly telling you that your father was a much better leader than you will ever be and no matter how much you try to steer away from who you are, you will always be a Black Raven, you will always be exactly the same as your father."

That had it. Rephiam stormed over to him and punched him hard in the face. He pulled out his blade and cut Hotah free. He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Rephiam picked him up by his collar and he threw him away from the pole. He moved to him and picked him up before ramming his torso into his knee as three times before letting him drop to the floor. Rephiam kicked him in the side and then rolled him over with his foot. He got above Hotah and kneeled down and roughly grabbed him by his hair. "You can threaten the tribe, you can go against what I have been trying to accomplish for the tribe but two things you cannot do is touch Stevie Rae or compare me to my father." Rephiam growled in his ear before shoving his head into the ground and repeatedly punching his face with both his hands. After Rephiam as done placing a lot of well placed punches Rephiam stood and stepped over Hotah. Before deciding he was done he turned over Hotah again and pressed his face into the dirt before finally going into the lodge.

The Black Ravens stood around the badly beaten Hotah before Amaro started throwing out orders. "Chogan and Hothlepoya tend to him and then tie him back up to the pole. Wylie, you want to be a healer like your father, you go with them; watch and learn and do what they say if they ask. Reid, you and I are going hunting for food." They quickly moved into their positions. "Oh and one more thing you three, watch him and do not bother Rephiam. He is too pissed off right now."

Rephiam climbed the stairs to see Stevie Rae by the window. She was leaning on the wall waiting for him to come up. He mentally cursed himself and Hotah before pulling himself all the way into the loft. He acted as if he hadn't seen her, even though they both know that he had seen her, and went towards where he always go to sleep. She crawled over to him and gave him a sympathetic look. She really didn't care that she almost got raped moments ago. Right now Rephiam needs her. She looked down at his blood stained hands. She took one hand in hers and with the end of her skirt she started wiping off the blood. They stayed silent, not one had a thing to say. She was almost done with the second hand when his other hand came up and covered hers. She looked up at his face and he looked at her. It was a few seconds before he said something. "Are you alright? He did not hurt you?"

"I'm fine. It was a good thing you came in when you did."

He looked down at his clean hand. "I… I did not want you to see that."

"I'm sorry."

"No. I am. I am the monster."

"Rephiam, you're not a monster."

"Then why do I feel like one?"

The two fell asleep in each others arms and were not once disturbed by the others, especially not Hotah. The Black Ravens took shifts watching over Hotah while chores were still completed. Rephiam had ordered them before the morning fiasco that they would be moving out again and this time to finish off their almost three year plan. It was late afternoon when Rephiam awoke with a heavy sigh. He looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled. How could he ever live without her now, he couldn't even know. But he knew that it was something that would be much harder to obtain. As Rephiam moved she woke up too, though groggier than he did. "Rephiam?" She called to him softly. He shushed her and told her to go back to bed. She shook her head and sat up. "I'm not tired." She muttered.

He sighed and looked over her. "Are you alright?" He asked again. He wanted to make sure.

"I'm fine." She looked up at him and smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Yeah…" He muttered as he went over to the ladder.

"Where are you going?"

"I am going to talk to Hotah." He climbed down the ladder and left the lodge, going straight towards Hotah. He saw that Hothlepoya was Hotah's watch guard.

"Rephiam." Hothlepoya greeted as he stood.

He looked up and smiled at Rephiam. "Ready to cut me loose?"

"Not a chance." He glared at Hotah, his anger still boiling beneath his skin. "I am only here to tell you that tomorrow when we are leaving you will stay in the back, away from us." Hotah scoffed but he made no attempt to counter. "You will stay out here tonight and will be only cut down moments before we leave, is that clear?"

"Like crystal Rephiam, like crystal."

Rephiam turned away from him and looked towards his brother. "You will be in charge of him."

"Me? Now I understand he is my brother but he—"

"I do not care Hothlepoya. Because you are his brother you will be in charge of him."

"I understand."

"Good. I am going back in. Round up the others for dinner and then you will feed him the scraps."

"Now that is a bit much."

"Is it?" Rephiam asked before he turned back into the lodge. The dinner was quiet and this time Stevie Rae sat next to Rephiam. Despite the fact that only Hotah tried to rape her he wasn't going to risk it with the others. Better if she was as close to him as possible. Stevie Rae had noticed this new sense of protectiveness and she didn't know wither to be taken in by it or fear it. She decided it was best to fear it because if Rephiam had distrusted his tribe members then she should distrust them also. After dinner Hothlepoya did as Rephiam instructed and fed his brother the table scraps. While the others started to fall asleep Stevie Rae and Rephiam waited until sleep to take over them. Since they had rested all day they were not at all a bit tired. She leaned against the wall of the loft and watched as Rephiam glared out the window. After a while she couldn't take it anymore. She crawled over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Rephiam, come away from the river. You'll make yourself sick."At first he didn't budge but when she started to pull him away gently he moved away and reluctantly turned his head away from the window. "I know you care Rephiam, but he's not gonna get out of that. He's tied up good. If I'm not worrying' you shouldn't."

"Once again Stevie Rae, you do not know them like I do." He looked at her and she swallowed at both his statement and the memories of the cliff. She sighed and let her hand fall from his shoulder. She was shocked when he took her hand and held onto it tightly. She squeezed her hand too and the two lay down side by side and once again fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning/_Rephiam_

I woke up and carefully pulled away from Stevie Rae. The first thing I am going to do this morning is wake up the others then go straight into preparing the horses. I climbed down the ladder and woke up the closest Raven to me, Wylie. "Wake up the others. I need to see Hotah." The kid nodded and went onto his task. I went outside where Mocker flew down to me immediately. He cawed and urgently flapped his wings. I stop and listen to him while I stare out into nothing. "What do you mean he is close?"

'Caw! Caw, caw! Caw, caw, caw, caw!' While I was hunting I saw him!

"Where is he?"

'Caw! Caw, caw, caw!' I do not know. He saw me and ran off.

"Hm. Get the other birds. We are moving out as soon as possible. If necessary we will skip breakfast." After one last caw he flew up behind the lodge.

"Skip breakfast?" Hotah asked. I looked over and saw as he tried to get a footing. "I am starving. Those scraps yesterday did a whole lot of nothing."

"Go cry a river." I told him. I then called for the horses.

"How do you expect me to perform well in battle if I am as weak as a day old pup?"

I look back at him for a second as the horses reach me. "You can eat on the way there." I suppose we can all eat on the way. I thought to myself as I lined up the horses. At that time Wylie came out and looked at the horses before talking to me.

"What's going on?"

"Get the others tell them to come out here. Also tell Amaro to go into the cellar and get the weapons and tell Chogan to quickly prepare the breakfast. We are eating on the go."

"Why, why are we rushed?" He stuttered.

"Just do what I tell you."

"Yes Chief." He then ran back in.

"Listening to me huh?" Hotah asked.

I groan and go in to wake Stevie Rae. The others have countless questions when I come in. I ignore them all. "Just set up the horses, get the weapons and be quick about it. Wylie if you have time set up Chogan's horse for him if he cannot." I climbed up and shook Stevie Rae by her shoulders. "Wake up."

"Huh? What? Rephiam?" She gradually sat up. "Is there a problem?"

"We are moving and quickly."

"Why?"

"Just get up, get ready and help the others if anything." I heard her stuttering, obviously confused by the way I am acting but I am in a hurry. If he came by and then ran that must mean that this is going to end soon and it is going to end, even if it is the last thing I do. I went outside and nodded as the others quickly prepared their horses. By that time Mocker and the other ravens flew down onto the roof. Mocker cawed and I nodded at him. "Good job Mocker."

"Rephiam, why are we in a hurry?" Hothlepoya asked while he prepared his horse and attached the Tomahawk and varies other weapons onto it.

"Kain was spotted by Mocker just outside The Valley." The others stopped briefly before quickening their pace. "My thoughts are that we are going to end this rivalry today and if you want my opinion I would not have it any other way." I took my bow and arrows and a saddlebag and prepared my horse. I also added a few more knifes and a Tomahawk.

"What about the girl?" Reid asked. He tied on his saddle and put his guns in there but he went towards the pile and got a set of knives as well.

"We are going to have to race to drop her off. If Kain came around here there is no doubt in my mind that he would come in here and check the place out. So take everything and make sure nothing of value is left behind."

"What about Hotah?" Amaro asked, he leaned on his finished horse and looked at me.

"Since you are done you set up his horse."

"What? You are really going to let him join us?"

"We need all the men we got."

Hotah chuckled and smiled at Amaro. "Yes, exactly."

Amaro glared at him. "Listen here, if you do anything towards her again—"

"Oh my spirits! You seriously have fallen in love with her! I was right!" He laughed evilly. I rolled my eyes walked over and punched him in the face. He groaned and I walked over to his horse since I finished with mine.

"Help me with this Amaro." While we prepared his horse I could not help but feel that I was being watched. I looked over to the lodge and sure enough there was Stevie Rae holding some bundled up food in her hands. She looked down nervously before coming out. She started handing out the food. Chogan came out a bit after her and handed out the rest. She stopped before me. "Stevie Rae, I need you to do something else for me." I left Amaro to finish off the horse while I pulled her away.

"What is it Rephiam?"

"I need you to pack up all your things and come back out here quickly." I leaned down and picked up the last knife and handed it to her. She looked down at the knife and then back at me. "I cannot guarantee that we will be able to get out of here without a problem, there might be a chance, but in the off sight, keep this with you."

"You don't think I have to use this right?" She asked me, her face filled with worry.

I turned and saw Hotah being cut down and lend to his horse. "I surely hope not."

* * *

The drama, the issues, the _insanity!_ I'm eating popcorn while I'm writing this. Lol, jk, the popcorn would distract me. No but seriously, please review.


	12. To End It All

_No POV_

After making their way through the cave and closing the path behind them the horses broke into a gallop and they rushed towards the tribe. While they were getting closer and closer to the area Stevie Rae's curiosity on the said tribe was coming back. It seemed that this tribe is important to Rephiam and Amaro. Was it their tribe before they became Ravens? She was trying to be nice and not ask questions about it, but seeing as she is going to be forced to stay with them she saw that she has the right to know, and she will tell them that if they refuse to answer her question. First she had to word the question in her head. Many different ways to word it popped up in her head but none of them sounded right. She then just decided to pick the one that sounded okay. "So is the tribe we going to Rephiam and Amaro's tribe?"

She expected Hothlepoya or Chogan to answer, since they usually answer her questions, but she was surprised when Amaro spoke up. "In a way, our mother used to live in the tribe so I suppose that it is ours. We both did not stay long in it though. Our father pulled us out the moment we were able to ride a horse and for Indians it is a long time. We were raised on the back of horses, everything we do we have to rely on horses to help us. He took us out and dropped us in the middle of nowhere, of course not at the same time, but with a span of a year we went through the initiation and after that we could never return home, not with Kalona leading us."

"After he left," Rephiam picked up, "and I took command I decided to go back and try to reconnect with our family, especially with our mother." Stevie Rae saw both Rephiam and Amaro's hands tighten into fists. "But that bustard killed her. He rushed out before us and butchered her to pieces. By the time we got there the others were so mad at us that they pushed us out, refusing to believe that we had nothing to do with the death of our mother."

Stevie Rae couldn't believe her ears. Their father killed their mother, and for what reason? For what she understands he left them, it wasn't that Rephiam kicked his own father out. It made her wonder about the stability of their old tribe. "What makes you think that they'd allow me to stay?"

"We are going to have to convince them we had no part in it." Rephiam answered.

"Other than that," Amaro said, "we have no idea if they will even allow us to get close to the village. If anything they might fight us off, just like in Raymer."

Stevie Rae sighed heavily and she heard Rephiam sigh as well. "All we can do is hope that they would listen to me, the first son of the shaman's only daughter."

The small Indian village was in sight not an hour later. There was a problem though and Rephiam could see it off in the horizon. Out of sight from the village they stood behind the hill on the low land that lay behind it. Rephiam stopped his horse and the others stopped around him, confused on why he just stopped. Stevie Rae behind him asked him something but he wasn't paying attention. He turned his horse towards the shapes and moved his horse closer. Hoping that it wasn't actually them he edged the horse closer and he could see that they copied his movements. Then the worse was confirmed. "Kain." He nearly growled out. As if he heard them he and his little band of followers rushed forward and stopped just before them. It was just a band of outlaws, the typically robbers. It was their leader that made them different. He pulled out his black horse, head low so his hat covered his eyes.

"Hello son." His head went up and Rephiam's anger boiled.

"Father." Rephiam said through clinched teeth. "Why are you here?"

Kain, or Kalona as he was once called, smirked at his son. "Isn't it obvious? I had a little help. Thanks Wylie. You were a big help with Zeina and all."

Rephiam looked behind towards Wylie. The kid shook his head. "No. I… It started like that but I-I don't want that wrong. I'm sorry Rephiam."

Rephiam looked back at Kalona with a small smile on his face. "Thanks Wylie, you saved us months of looking for him. Now what do you want father?"

Kalona chuckled and smiled back at his first son. "I want you in your place Rephiam. I want my tribe back."

"You can't have it back!" Reid yelled. "You killed your raven, you left us!"

Kalona scoffed. "I started the tribe; it is mines and always will be mine." He looked back at Rephiam. "Now, renounce your leadership and I'll take command again."

"You will never have this tribe father."

"Fine. Then let's do this the hard way." Kalona smiled and his eyes dashed to Stevie Rae. She gasped softly and Rephiam reacted.

"Distract him! I am dropping her off!" Rephiam kicked his horse and Shadow neighed as he galloped towards the village.

Kalona growled and kicked his horse but was stopped when Amaro jumped in his path. "Hello father."

While Shadow's Wing galloped the sounds of guns and yells sounded behind them. Shadow jumped over the hill and before they disappeared behind the hill Stevie Rae looked back and saw a glimpse of the battle. Before Rephiam the village came into view and he kicked his horse again, urging him to go faster. "Rephiam!" Stevie Rae screamed. He ignored her and rushed into the tribe stopping before his grandfather's tent. Rephiam started to talk in Cherokee and she couldn't understand a word. An old shaman walked out of the tent and started to angrily talk back, again in Cherokee. The conversation roar on, both their voices getting louder. Stevie Rae could tell the beginning of the conversation was on Rephiam and Amaro's mother and the fight that was going on since Rephiam kept on pointing to the hill they had just gone over. Then at some point during the heated argument it went on to her and the argument seemed to have died down. The conversation softened and became less rushed and more pleading from Rephiam. After a brief moment of silence the shaman nodded his head once and Rephiam turned towards Stevie Rae.

"Get off."

"No!" She screamed at him. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Get off." Rephiam repeated again this time much angrier.

"No!" She repeated and without warning he pushed her off the horse and she fell onto the floor. She groaned as she sat up. A pair of wrinkled hands took her shoulders. Rephiam repeated something else in Cherokee. She recuperated quickly. "Rephiam don't leave me!" She pleaded.

"You are going to stay here with them. He will find you an escort back to Boulder and you are going to stay there, you are _not _going to run away again. Do not try and find the Black Ravens or myself and just stay where you belong."

"No Rephiam! Please don't! You sound as if you're not coming back at all." He turned his horse away and started leading his horse out. "He's not coming back alive." She whispered in realization. "No! Rephiam!" His horse broke out into a gallop and within moments he disappeared out of her sights. "NO! Rephiam!" She tried running after him but the shaman held her back and muttered things in Cherokee.

Shadow's Wing jumped over the hill again and Rephiam readied his bow and arrow. He shot it at an outlaw who has his gun pointed at Wylie. He let the arrow fly and it hit the outlaw in the head. Wylie stood and Rephiam glared down at the boy. "Rephiam, Hotah, he betrayed us."

"Like you did?" Rephiam challenged.

"I'm on your side!" Wylie yelled. "Hotah moved onto his side!" He jabbed a finger towards Kalona who was still battling Amaro. "He said that it was time he followed a better leader, the true leader."

Rephiam scoffed and got off the horse. He took off his arrows from his horse's back and slapped its hindquarters sending the horse a safe distance away from the fight. He then looked at Wylie. Without another word he moved towards his father. "Amaro!" He yelled out. "Move away! He is mine." Amaro launched his last arrow before switching off with Rephiam. "Hold it Amaro." Rephiam said as his brother passed by. He handed him his bow and arrows and patted Amaro's shoulder a few times. Amaro sighed and nodded before rushing off into battle again. "Father!"

"Well look here." Kalona said as he threw his gun away. "Looks like you want to do this differently."

"It ends now. You have ruined too many lives to ever continue breathing again."

"Is that a threat?" Kalona laughed out. "Tell me Rephiam, were you planning on killing me before or did you change your mind because I saw your little girl behind you?" Rephiam remained silent. "Oh? No answer? Tell me son, which one is it?"

Rephiam softly scoffed. "A bit of both. I was planning on killing you before but now I have an even greater reason why because you saw her."

Kalona laughed. "This is the great leader of the Black Ravens? A man, no a boy, who falls in love with a girl?" He scoffed and pulled a sword from one of his dead followers and throws it towards his son. Rephiam catches the blade and looks back at his father who pulls out his sword from his side. "I did teach you how to fight with a sword correct?"

"Correct. You only taught me."

"Then en garde." The two launched at each other and blocked each other's attacks. Rephiam found his reactions to be late from years with no practice. He repeatedly either got scratched by the blade or in fact stabbed. Compared to his performance with his father he saw no chance to succeed. Maybe inflict irreversible damage, maybe. The clinking of the blades started to sound like music, like deadly music, like the kind they play before a person is hanged. Rephiam was glad that he fought against his selfish pleads to allow Stevie Rae to stay with him; he doesn't want her to see him lose. Rephiam grunted as he shoved the sword into Kalona's right leg. His father screamed and his leg bent down. Rephiam thought that maybe he'd have a chance now but then a pain came from his lower torso. Upon looking down he saw the sword's blade into his side. Kalona pulled it out, slowly, causing the most pain he can inflict onto his son. Rephiam crumpled down on the floor before his father; he clutched his side and glared at his father. Kalona chuckled evilly and stood. "My son, my first son." He chuckled some more. "My weak, pathetic son. Now look what I have to do now." He raised the sword up and pointed the blade towards Rephiam's heart. "Goodbye my son."

Meanwhile Stevie Rae had managed to break free from the shaman. She ran out as fast as she could towards the hill. She would not accept the fact that Rephiam will die. She can't. She knows that if anything she can be the chance Rephiam has to survive. She came over the hill and looked back. The shaman was nowhere in sight and it seemed like no one was following her. Either no one cared about a girl that was traveling with the Black Ravens, or the battle is just over the hill and no one wants to risk being near it or a combination of both. Stevie Rae shrugged it off and dropped to the ground. She then crawled to the top and stared at the sight below her. There were so many dead bodies. She realized that most of the enemy's men were dead, all except Kalona and one other. The sound of a gunshot was heard and the last of Kalona's followers fell to the ground. Stevie Rae looked over to Rephiam who stabbed his father in the leg. Stevie Rae smiled at the possible but it soon turned into a gasped look when his father's sword was shoved deep into Rephiam. She thought about the knife Rephiam had given her. She shook her head quickly. She would never be able to get close enough to do anything with it and if she threw it she could well miss and hit Rephiam instead. She reacted then and she ran down the hill and went to the nearest dead body. Grabbing a gun off the body she opened the gun and saw only one bullet left. She didn't know why the others weren't reacting the same way. She closed the gun and rushed forward. When she got near she heard Kalona say 'Goodbye by son'. Stevie Rae aimed nervously and fired. The shot echoed in her ears and she dropped the gun. She thought the worse. She accidentally hit Rephiam, she killed him. She looked over and to her amazement Kalona fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Rephiam stood and pointed his sword straight down at Kalona's throat. She went closer but was stopped by Rephiam's growls. "You are dead Kalona. You will not torture anyone else."

"Come on Rephiam. You don't expect me to believe that you haven't done anything wrong." Kalona sneered.

"I admit I have done wrong, but there is nothing I regret."

"There is something. I see it in your eyes."

"Yes there is." Rephiam said after a short while. "Being your son." He was about to kill him when Amaro came in.

"Stop Rephiam!" Amaro caught his brother's arm and held it. "Do not kill him. True he deserves death but there is a greater punishment and you know it." Both brothers were breathing deeply and were even shaking from the tension. "Besides, you do not want to kill him before Stevie Rae."

Rephiam looked over to her. He looked at her scared, shocked and utterly mortified facial expression. He sighed shakily and looked down at his father. "Tie him up." He said after a moment. "Tie him up to Hotah. They will both be severely punished." The others quickly reacted and tied the two up. Stevie Rae didn't quite understand why Hotah was being tied up. Was it for nearly raping her? Rephiam had punished him already for that. Rephiam grabbed Kalona's sword before he was tied and dropped both swords away from him. He went over to Stevie Rae, still clutching his side. "I told you to stay with the shaman." He said when he reached her.

Stevie Rae shook her head and felt tears coming to her eyes. "I couldn't let you die." He was about to say something, most likely scold her but he was cut off when she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him, the tears unrolling on his shoulder. He sighed and he too wrapped his arms around her. After a few silent moments of holding each other Rephiam pulled away and started walking over to his tribe. Stevie Rae followed and on their way to Chogan they passed by the two, tied up betrayers of the Black Raven tribe.

"Chogan." Rephiam called when he reached him. The others were around Chogan and two bodies, the ravens dotting the ground around them Stevie Rae gasped softly at the sight of the two. "Chogan are they…?"

Chogan sighed sadly and looked over the mangled bodies of Hothlepoya and Wylie. "Yes. They have left this earth and passed on."

Stevie Rae sobbed and went beside Chogan and kneeled before him. "I'm sorry for the loss of your son."

"He had betrayed us, at first." Chogan said softly. "And despite the short we had, he will have been my son." Tears fell from the healer's eyes and Stevie Rae placed a hand on his arm.

Rephiam closed his eyes and listened as Chogan and Stevie Rae cried. Soon new sounds came in and Rephiam reopened his eyes to see Reid sobbing. Hothlepoya was his best friend and Wylie and he had become close as well. Rephiam looked over to Amaro who held his head high and did not look shaken at first but upon looking closely Rephiam saw shakes pass through the body of his brother. He sighed and spoke softly. "Let us remember these two. The greatest hunter we will ever see and the youngling who had his life taken early. Keep them in spirit and in mind as we live our lives. Live for them."

"Live for them." The remaining Black Ravens muttered. Even Hotah, who had considered himself no longer a Raven, muttered those words.

Within the next hour the bodies of the outlaws were collected and piled up, removed of their weapons and were burned. Their horses were stripped from their gear and were set free. Chogan patched up the wounds first. Reid got hit with a few bullets, as did Amaro. He cleaned out all the wounds and bandaged them up, Stevie Rae helped as well. For the dead Ravens their horses and birds were set free as well as the traitors. The traitors' animals left immediately while the others stayed a bit longer. The first one to go was Zacard, the horse who did not fully bond with his master. The other three stayed for the burial of Hothlepoya. "Rephiam, is it alright to take Wylie home to be buried there?" Chogan had asked.

"Yes." Rephiam replied. "Chogan, if you ever want to come back with us, you know where to go." Rephiam added. Chogan nodded his head once and the two took each other's forearms.

"Thank you Rephiam."

"So long brother."

Chogan took off after the burial, Wylie's dead body spread across his horse's back and Wylie's bird following close behind Chogan's bird. The remaining stayed behind just a bit longer. Stevie Rae had questions like where did the animals go after they were freed? She guessed they went back to The Valley. What if they were captured? She also guessed that they would be killed or tamed by their captors to serve them. She stayed quiet though, seeing as the solemn air around them affected the four. "What now?" Reid asked.

They looked towards Rephiam who stood and walked over to his horse. "We take those two away and then we drop of Stevie Rae in Boulder." She was going to retaliate, say she didn't want to go back just yet but once again, she didn't want to bother. They rode on nonstop towards Raymer and dropped the two off and ran before the towns' folk saw them. Within the next moments the two traitors were hanged next to Takoda. The next stop was Boulder which they ran straight towards there. They didn't stop for anything. Night fell and it was deep into the night when they finally reached the outskirts of Boulder. The others stayed behind while Rephiam took Stevie Rae closer to the town. Rephiam took the horse and stopped just half a mile to the town. Rephiam got off and helped Stevie Rae get down. His hands lingered on her waist much longer than he had intended. "Here you are." He said softly.

She looked down and closed her eyes. "I don't want to leave you." She admitted. She looked back up at him.

"You have to. Trust me. You do not want to spend your life with me."

"What if I do? What if I don't care what happens to me?"

"But _I _care Stevie Rae." His hand went back and grasped the back of her neck softly, right where her jaw and neck meets. "I do not want you to throw your life away. I cannot offer you anything you would want."

"I don't want anything big and fancy Rephiam. All I want is you." The two looked into each other's eyes, the longing they experience towards each other not at one bit masked. "I love you."

"I know."

"And you love me."

"I do."

"Then, let me go. Let me stay with you."

"I… I cannot."

"Rephiam…"

"I am sorry Stevie Rae. But I love you too much to hand you this life." He leaned in, closed his eyes, and softly pressed his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, her arms snaking around his neck. They kissed softly, slowly and passionately like this kiss was to last them a lifetime. It felt like a lifetime. Their kiss, but all too soon they broke apart and muttering one last apology Rephiam got on his horse and left behind the only thing he really loved. Stevie Rae stood brokenly as she watched him disappear into the night all too quickly. She felt her knees wobble but she refused to fall. Gathering the strength she had left she walked through the almost unfamiliar town towards home.


	13. Bonus Chapter!

Ok guys, here's a bonus chapter! Yay! It's a song fiction about Rephiam and Stevie Rae in the story. Based on the ending of chapter 12. The song is Don't You Wanna Stay by Jason Aldean ft. Kelly Clarkson (LOVE THIS SONG!). Btw, the ending of this chapter, the last 6 lines of lyrics, are tied in with excerpts from the story and the last line is on Stevie Rae's POV and the POV starts with Rephiam then alternate just so you know.

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Both:

_I really hate to let this moment go  
Touching your skin, and your hair falling slow  
When a goodbye kiss, feels like this…_

She pleads and begs me to let her go with me. I want to let her but she is not mine to take. She never was and yet I still kissed her. And I still kiss her. I would kiss her to the end on the world but I cannot. I really hate to let her go, but her life is not with me.

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while?  
Don't you wanna hold each other tight?  
Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight? Don't you wanna stay here a little while?  
We can make forever feel this way  
Don't you wanna stay?_

I don't understand. I thought he cared. I thought he loves me. I know he does. He admitted it. Why won't he let me stay with him? I love him so much and I don't want to stay in Boulder. If I do I would have to marry Dallas. I can't marry someone I don't love. I think about telling him, trying to change his thoughts but it's too late.

_Let's take it slow, I don't wanna move too fast  
I don't wanna just make love, I wanna make love last  
When you're on this high, it's a sad goodbye…_

She loves me and I love her. But with me being a Black Raven I cannot trust love. I just do not want to make love, I want to have love. Share it and keep it special. I, for a moment think about just taking her. It was after she told me she loves me. I can take her too. She will not struggle. I could take her away and run from everyone. But I cannot. She would not have a life with me. She would not be safe and her safety is the most important thing to me. It is a sad goodbye but it has to be done.

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while?  
Don't you wanna hold each other tight?  
Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight?  
Don't you wanna stay here a little while?  
We can make forever feel this way  
Don't you wanna stay?_

_Oh yeah… Oh, you feel so perfect, baby That it feels so perfect, baby…_

I know he won't let me go with him. I just want one more night. One more night to sleep in his arms and make the night last forever. I can never feel this way again with anyone. He is The One. The tears storm to my eyes but I refuse to cry. I refuse to be weak before him and for him to remember me as the weak girl who cried when he left. It's beating me up on the inside. He's just so perfect despite what he says.

I want one more night. I loved the time we fell asleep in each others arms. I loved feeling her warm body against mine while she slept her breathing even and calm. I would want that moment to last forever and to never end. She just feels so perfect, she _is _perfect. And I know that I will never find another like her. I leaned in and kissed her for the last time.

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while? (x2)_

A hand reached down to me and I moved back… I looked at the hand for a few moments before I gingerly placed my hand in his and he pulled me up… "You're a Black Raven."

_Don't you wanna hold each other tight?_

…A sudden sound of a throat clearing. She squealed loudly and dropped into the water…He looked at her a little bit longer and he turned and walked away.

_Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight?_

…His lips crashed onto hers. Her eyes widened and the hand on her neck disappeared and moved to her waist… Stevie Rae closed her eyes and kissed the Black Raven back. He kissed her roughly, his lips sliding over hers… She copied his movements and formed her lips with his… her arms wrapping around his neck_…_

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while?_

…He (Hotah) is yanked off her and thrown out of the loft. A thud followed by a pain filled grunt told her that he hit the floor, hard… She was leaning on the wall waiting for him to come up…With the second hand when his other hand came up and covered hers… "Are you alright?"

_We can make forever feel this way_

… Rephiam awoke with a heavy sigh. He looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled…She woke up too, groggier than he did. "Rephiam?" She called to him softly.

_Don't you wanna stay?_

…"I told you to stay with the shaman."…"I couldn't let you die."…She wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him, the tears unrolling on his shoulder. He sighed and he too wrapped his arms around her.

_Don't you wanna stay?_

As I watched him disappear into the darkness I only had one thought; don't you wanna stay with me?

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So what'd ya think? Depressing right? Yeah… Well on the plus side, at least one more chapter left. Depending on how long the chapter is, I might make it a two part but the chance of that happening is slim to none. Well please review.


	14. Following What Matters

Okay… Final chapter. Let's finished this. I've been working on this story because I wanted to finish it before school started again… Whoo… My hands are tired from all the typing and my brain is pooped from thinking about the story too much… Eh… Let's hope this chapter isn't a piece of crap because of it.

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Johnson House/_No POV_

She stumbled onto the front steps of her home and went towards the door. She found the door to be unlocked. With sick realization she found that her father had left the door unlocked for her return. Her stomach tightened and she sniffed, her tears from Rephiam leaving just now pouring out. She marveled at herself. She was able to hold the tears in long enough. She went through the door and locked it behind her. Since sound traveled through the house when it was quiet the sound of the door opening and closing reverberated through the house and reached Mr. Johnson's room. Being unable to sleep from worry he awoke with a start and quickly rushed to his bedroom door. He went to the stairs and his eyes widen. His daughter was back home. He rushed down the stairs and took his daughter in his arms. She placed her arms around him too but all her actions were in a haze. Within moments she was lead into her room and she fell asleep.

The next morning she woke up and went to the bathroom for a shower. The water fell onto her skin and she pictured her time with Rephiam, the memories, his touch, washing away with the dirt. She sighed and finished washing. When she changed into cleaner clothing, her typical shirt and skirt with boots, she walked down the stairs and saw her best friend Zoey and Dallas. Zoey rushed up and hugged her friend. "There you are girl! Where'd you run off to?"

"Nowhere. Just getting some air."

Dallas chuckled and Zoey moved away so that he could hug her. "I don't think you had to disappear for days for air Stevie Rae."

She shrugged and managed a smile. "I guess I just wanted to go somewhere."

"Well don't ever do that again. Your father was having a cow."

Zoey nodded. "He became such a worrywart. I was surprised he didn't die of a heart attack from so much worrying."

"I'm sorry." Stevie Rae apologized.

Zoey shook her head and placed her hands on her waist. "Don't apologize to me or to Dallas. Apologize to your daddy for running away!"

She sighed and looked around. "Well then where is he?"

Dallas shook his head. "You seriously didn't think about saying sorry to your father?"

"Look here." Stevie Rae said. Her broken heart was staring to talk through her. "I have gone through a lot the past few days and wither or not I tell them to you is all up to me! Now when I came home last night I was in a mess, alright? I still am. If anything I want to be left alone. If my father wants an apology he can come upstairs and get one when he's finished working 'cause I know he's working and don't try to tell me otherwise 'cause I know my father." She turned on her heals and ran up the stairs and into her room, the door slamming behind her.

Dallas was going to run up when Zoey stopped him. "This is a girl thing Dallas. Why don't you go into town and tell the mayor what happened." Dallas didn't want to go. He too worried about Stevie Rae and he wanted to know what happened that caused her to change. He saw though that Zoey was right so he reluctantly left the house and went towards the town hall. Zoey went up the stairs and knocked on her friend's door. "Stevie Rae, it's me Zoey." Silence. "Dallas left. I sent him away. Can you tell me what happened?" More silence. "Stevie Rae, can't you trust me?"

"...Come in."

Zoey smiled softly and opened the door. "Girl, what happened?" Zoey walked over and sat beside Stevie Rae who lay on the bed.

Stevie Rae swallowed. "I don't feel like answering."

"You can tell me. I won't tell. I promise."

Stevie Rae looked at Zoey before sitting up. She sighed. "He happened."

"'He'? Who's he?"

"Rephiam."

"Wait a moment… Black Raven Rephiam?" Zoey looked at her, eyes wide.

"Yes. He, I mean, I ran into him again the day I ran away. He saved me again from dying of thirst _and _hunger. He protected me and he tried to return me home but complications came up at Raymer then Wylie, bless his soul, came and we went to The Valley. We… He protected me again and he cared for me, he loved me Zoey." Sobs came up. She refused to look at Zoey. "I loved him. I still do damn it. But he wouldn't let me go with him. He said he couldn't offer anything so he left me here. Oh Zoey…"

Zoey took her crying friend in her arms and rubbed her back. She shushed her friend and continued to calm Stevie Rae. "Why didn't you go after him?"

"I couldn't! He had his horse and you don't know Shadow. That horse could run. I would have never caught up to him." Stevie Rae cried out, tears falling from her eyes.

Zoey sighed and stopped rubbing her back. "Well…" Another sigh. "The way I see it, you have to go after him."

Stevie Rae pulled away and looked at Zoey through wet eyes. "What?"

"You heard me." She pulled out a handkerchief from a small bag and handed it over to Stevie Rae. "You are going to pack up all your things, take some more food and water than last time, some maps, maybe a compass and possibly a weapon just in case and you are going after him. You're gonna take Savannah and tack her up and get out of here."

"But father has—"

"No he doesn't."

"He doesn't?"

"Nah. He was so excited that you came home that he ran into town screaming at the top of his lungs."

"Oh…" Stevie Rae then groaned. "Oh father! I just got home, I-I can't just leave!"

"Sure you can."

"Zoey!"

"What? When you're long gone I'll tell him everything."

"Everything?"

"Come on now, the man's got a right to know. And besides, he can't challenge true love girl."

"… You know, you're right." Stevie Rae stood. "I just gotta follow my heart and hope he doesn't send me back."

"Stevie Rae, if that boy sends you back then he is freaking retarded." The two broke into tasks, just like what the Black Ravens do. Stevie Rae took the task of cleaning out the important stuff out of her room, clothing, shoes, a bigger bag to hold everything and a picture of her family when her mother was still alive. Meanwhile Zoey went to the stable and tacked up Savannah. Once Savannah was tacked up Zoey went back inside to see Stevie Rae preparing a few sandwiches while two empty canteens lay on the counter. "I'll fill these up for you."

"Thanks Z."

"So you think you got everything?" Zoey asked as she filled up the canteens.

"Should. I even took a pistol with some ammo just in case like you said." Stevie Rae finished wrapping up the sandwiches. "I'll put these in the saddle bag along with the canteens."

"Speaking of which," Zoey said, "I got them all filled up."

"Thanks."

"Now come on. Dallas went to fetch your dad. They might get here any moment now." The two rushed towards the stable and placed the food in the saddlebag and tied the canteens on. They then heard the sounds of a horse coming. Zoey looked out from a window. "Oh poop! It's your dad and Dallas!"

Stevie Rae sighed. "How am I even gonna get out of here now?"

Zoey pondered as she tapped her chin. She then smiled and snapped her fingers. "I got an idea. Just get on Savannah, go out the back doors and wait and watch from behind the barn. When I take them inside run girl, just run like the wind."

Stevie Rae smiled at her friend. "Gothca." The girls shared a quick hug.

"Now don't forget me when you're off with your man."

"I won't." Stevie Rae laughed.

Zoey nodded and rushed out the barn just before the guys rode up. "Hey Dallas, Mr. Johnson."

Mr. Johnson looked at the girl as he got off the horse. "Zoey? Were you in the stable?"

"Yeah, Stevie Rae wanted me to check up on Savannah, I told her you were too excited to take her to town today."

"Oh. Well she said something about an apology?"

"Yes sir. She's in her room. Dallas, you come to. She's got something to tell you." Zoey winked for effect.

"Really?" Dallas asked. He got off Beau and tied him up to the porch before both men followed Zoey inside the house.

Stevie Rae waited until the door closed before kicking Savannah. "Come on girl. We've got a long ways to go." Savannah tore forward and charged south east. Stevie Rae had an inclining of where they were supposed to go. She had checked the map before even starting the food.

Meanwhile the three reached the nearly emptied room. Mr. Johnson looked around in vain. "Wha—Where? Zoey where'd she…"

Dallas too looked around and his eyes went to the window. There he saw Stevie Rae riding past. "Stevie Rae!" He yelled. He moved the window open and Mr. Johnson rushed to his side.

"Stevie Rae!" They both yelled. They kept on yelling her name for a few seconds before turning towards the door.

Zoey stood by the door and closed it. "Listen, I got something to say. Something about Stevie Rae so you better sit down."

Stevie Rae ran the horse to no end. She really had no idea where she was going. The only thing that was leading her was her guess on where The Valley is and love. Stevie Rae thought it as dramatic but she didn't care. She was just plain determined. Hours passed and during this time she had eaten a sandwich and had drunk most of the water in a canteen, she was making sure it last because frankly she didn't know how long she would be searching for this place. Then by either sheer luck or her wonderful guesstimating she found it. She slowed Savannah to a stop and let the tired out horse take a breather while she marveled at the cliff. "Heh… I actually found it." She was sure she found it. No other cliff looked like that. She led Savannah to the 'door' and found it closed. "Great, now I have to open it." She got off Savannah and thought of a plan. With some rope she tied one end to Savannah and to the best of her abilities, tied it to the rock. Then taking a stick used to light the way through the cave she would pry the rock over. Luckily there was a small crack. "Alright Savannah, heave!" The horse pulled and Stevie Rae pushed and after a few tries the rock moved out of the path, just enough for Savannah to get through and that was all Stevie Rae wanted. "Alright, let's do this." Using the matchbox that she took she lit the match and then in turn the stick where the sap was. It lit up and she threw the match away after blowing it out. "Alright Savannah, just follow my lead and be careful." Within half an hour she was home free.

Meanwhile the Black Ravens arrived at The Valley's entrance. After stopping by Raymer to make sure the town did their job indirectly placed upon them by Rephiam was complete they decided to go back home. Amaro noticed the open cave entrance first. "Did we leave that open?"

"No." Reid answered. "Think that maybe Chogan came by?"

Rephiam shook his head. "No." He answered. "He would need to ride to the village, bury his son; he would probably stay there for a while then come here if he wanted to come back to us. He would take longer than this."

"Hey, one of the sticks are gone." Reid said.

"Alright." Amaro said as he got off his horse. "Let us see who is invading our home."

Minutes later they got through the cave and extinguished the light before looking at the lodge. "Whose horse is that?" Reid asked. They approached the lodge and stopped a good ways away from the appaloosa. "Whoever her owner is, he rides with a whole lot of gear."

"Who do you think owns the horse Rephiam?" Amaro asked. When he didn't get an answer he looked over to his brother. "Rephiam?" Rephiam stayed quiet. Without another word he got off his horse and went towards the lodge's door. "Rephiam?" Amaro called. Rephiam opened the door and straight before him a sight he couldn't possibly believe.

She looked up from a book she brought with her and saw him standing in the doorway. She stood a small smile on her face as she placed the book down. "Hello Rephiam."

Rephiam blinked and in a haze he walked to her. "I told you to not come back." He spoke softly, really thinking that he was hallucinating. He had just dropped her off, he knows he did.

"I know." She said just as softly. "But you can't keep me away Rephiam, not when love's this true." He blinked and brought his hand up behind her neck. She's real he realized. He thought his hands must be so cold since he felt cold. They stared into each others eyes, blue into amber. He smiled softly and pulled her into a kiss. The two kissed passionately and almost roughly but it had a hard lining of softness to it. Her hands went up to rest on his bare chest while his other hand went to the small of her back to pull her closer. The two continued to kiss until a throat was cleared near the doorway. The two pulled away slowly and looked over. Leaning in the doorway were Amaro and Reid, taking opposite sides on the door to lean on.

"Oh just ignore us." Amaro said with a smile.

"Yeah," Reid said, a grin plastered on his face, "just keep doin' what you're doin'. Don't mind us." Stevie Rae giggled but went beat red. Rephiam just pulled her closer and his arms went around her waist. He shook his head at the two but still had a smile on his face. Amaro and Reid broke out laughing as they walked into the lodge. "What are you doin' here anyways Stevie Rae?"

"I just figured I belonged here."

Amaro scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm positive." She replied and she rested her head on Rephiam's shoulders. "And besides, ya'll could use a womanly touch around here."

Reid chuckled. "Ain't that the truth? Some real cooking, some sewing, cleaning, some baking. Hey you could become the housewife of the Ravens."

Stevie Rae shook her head but she laughed alongside with Reid. "No. No I'm not being a housewife. But I will cook for you guys and sew if needed." The guys nodded except for Rephiam who was thinking that she doesn't have to do that. "But I was thinking-"

"Here we go." Reid said. "Here comes the woman takin' control."

Stevie Rae gave him a look and continued. "I was thinking rebuilding the lodge."

"Rebuilding it?" Amaro asked.

"Yeah. Making it into an actual lodge. I was thinking the first floor could be the kitchen, the dining room and the family room while upstairs, with an _actual_ bathroom and the second floor could house the rooms with yet another _actual _bathroom. That way you guys don't have to sleep on the floor, I was thinking bunk beds, and you don't have to move furniture around before and after you sleep. It'd be a lot of hard work building a new lodge but it'd be worth it."

Amaro and Reid looked at her, then at each other, then at their leader. "What do you think brother?" Amaro asked.

Rephiam took a breath and looked down at Stevie Rae which in turn looked up at him. "I understand her motives and I suppose that we could rebuild the lodge."

"Yay!" Stevie Rae said.

"Ugh here we go." Reid said. He sighed. "Come on Amaro. We better go up the cliff and cut down the whole forest that's up there."

"There's a forest up there?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Yes there is." Amaro answered. "But after we are done, there will not be." Stevie Rae giggled.

As the two left Reid turned at the door and pointed a finger at the two. "Now don't do anything in here while we're gone."

Stevie Rae turned red again. "Go cut wood!" Reid tipped his hat and rushed out with a trail of laughter. "Men."

Rephiam pulled her away and looked at her. "Women." Stevie Rae laughed and the two kissed again, this time with no other Ravens to interrupt them.

The next months passed quickly. With the building of the lodge, the trunks being dropped from the sky down into the valley and the return of Chogan all seemed to blur together. "Chogan, you're back." Stevie Rae said when he came to the old lodge.

"And so are you." He said. "Seems like there is a lot of changes."

"Yeah. I'm the leading the others in the building of a new, bigger and better lodge."

"Good. We have been needing a new one. Times had changed and we cannot keep living in the past."

"Yeah. So what happened when you went back to the village?"

"Well, we buried Wylie and I was actually hoping on staying but Wylie failed to mention that Talise got married and was pregnant at the time, now her child is born."

"Oh I'm sorry."

"No do not be. I knew something like that would have happened. She is very beautiful."

"Aw… Well… Let's feed you so you can work."

"Work?" Chogan chuckled.

"Yeah. The lodge's not gonna get finished if no one works on it." Chogan laughed and followed her into the old lodge for a meal.

During the construction of the new lodge there were much more changes to the Black Ravens. The ravens who masters had died, and even the other ravens, were sent out to either bond with new potential Black Ravens or lead the wandering potentials towards The Valley; the initiation traditions were changed, now they only need to prove that they have a bond with their raven and the ability to catch a horse and the traits familiar with all Black Ravens, especially the birthmark of raven wings. By the time the new lodge was completed the Raven tribe was rebuilt to its old way and Stevie Rae had given birth to a girl with a raven wings birthmark on her left arm, the first ever born female Raven. Meanwhile in Boulder Jimmy Johnson had started getting acquainted with the fact his daughter left for a Black Raven. He started receiving letters from her from a town out there but he never once went out to fetch her. He decided that it was best to let his daughter go and live her life as long as she sounded happy in her letters and was treated well. He was actually very proud when he found out about his granddaughter and Stevie Rae had even planned with her father for a meeting. Zoey became exceptionally proud of her best friend and demanded to see Stevie Rae's daughter when she came back for the meeting. She too has been trying out the romance game but keeps on ending up in love triangles and squares and such. She is depending on Stevie Rae's guidance to help her choose between guys. Dallas on the other hand didn't take any of the news likely. He wanted to marry Stevie Rae and have children with her but to his dismay he will never have the chance. He refused to have anything to do with her anymore and ran away from Boulder, west into the desert. In about a few months time his body was discovered in the desert crawling with snakes, his horse nowhere to be found. Rephiam and Stevie Rae are exceptionally happy with their life with their daughter and he realized that he was wrong in sending her away and would never ever think about doing that again. The ravens became nearly free birds, they were still tied with their masters but now had freedom to fly anywhere they wish and as far as they wish. Stevie Rae ultimately became the housewife for the Ravens and stayed in the new lodge while the Ravens went out for hunting parties or training exercises and even outings. The Black Ravens were no longer raping women but in fact were marrying them and starting families of their own. Soon The Valley moved outside the cliffs and the Black Ravens eventually dissolved into just another Cherokee tribe led by Rephiam and Stevie Rae, their successor being Jocelyn Angeni, their first daughter. And even though the Black Ravens were dissolved and the demon tribe of Indians were nothing more than a story, there would always be the five that lived through that summer when all their lives changed, all thanks to one girl and one everlasting romance.

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Whew… Another 8-page chapter. Cool. Almost became 9 by like a little less than a third of a document. So, what'd you guys think? Review please much love.


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